crime
Investigations into arson and murder in Düsseldorf
Candles and flowers lie in a red heart sprayed on the pavement in Düsseldorf after the murderous arson attack. photo
© Federico Gambarini/dpa
Investigations continue after the explosion and fire that left three dead and 16 injured in a residential and commercial building in Düsseldorf.
After the explosion and fire with three dead and 16 injured in The Düsseldorf criminal police are continuing to investigate arson and murder. “The investigation is ongoing,” a police spokesman said on Saturday. Petrol was spilled as an accelerant in a kiosk on the ground floor of the affected residential and commercial building, as the police and public prosecutor’s office said.
The body of the kiosk operator (48) was discovered in the immediate vicinity of the store; according to an autopsy, he died as a result of the explosion. The two other fatalities are house residents aged 18 and 55 who died from smoke inhalation on Thursday night. The injured continued to be treated in clinics. Regarding the case of the woman, whose life was still in acute danger on Friday, the police said on Saturday that there was no new status.
The investigations into the crime, the background and the alleged perpetrator were ongoing. Investigators reported on Friday that there were no signs of politically motivated crime or influence from other people from outside. The accelerant was used inside the building and there is currently no evidence that this was done by an external person, a spokesman for the public prosecutor said on Saturday when asked. But we have to wait for further investigation results.
The fire spread quickly from the ground floor into the six-story house. The fire brigade had to rescue numerous people from the balconies with turntable ladders because their escape route through the stairwell was blocked. Neighboring houses were also damaged.