fires
Fire in Essen: New apartments offered for tenants
The burned-out residential complex in Essen that was destroyed in the fire. Photo: Stephan Witte/KDF-TV/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
No turning back: numerous tenants lost their apartments as a result of the fire in Essen. Those affected have already received offers for other apartments. The cause of the fire is still unclear.
A week after the devastating fire in an apartment building complex in Essen, the police released parts of the building for the owner.
The work of the experts continued in other parts of the building. The cause of the fire is still unknown, a police spokesman said.
High amount of damage
128 people had lost their homes and in many cases their entire property as a result of the fire on February 21. The house has to be demolished. The owner, the housing company Vivawest, estimates the damage to be in the double-digit millions.
All 38 tenants affected by the fire have now received offers for other apartments. The first viewings have already taken place and tenants have reserved ten apartments, Vivawest said. After the fire, the tenants had either found private accommodation or Vivawest had offered them hotel rooms at the company’s expense.
Lots of donations
There is a great willingness to donate in the city: the city announced on Monday that 496,000 euros have already been collected. The Post has set up an issuing office for the post of the tenants concerned. The Theater und Philharmonie Essen (TUP) is planning a benefit concert with excerpts from well-known opera and ballet works for March 3rd. All proceeds will go to those affected.
In the fire, the four-and-a-half-storey residential complex was completely ablaze in a very short time, 35 apartments burned out completely, and a total of 39 can no longer be used.