After a fire in an asylum accommodation left one dead and several injured, the police believe a five-year-old boy was the possible culprit. Initial investigations indicated that the boy had been playing with a lighter at the accommodation in Nördlingen, Swabia, the police said on Monday. Apparently the furnishings in the apartment caught fire and the fire then spread to the other apartments. According to a spokesman, the criminal police were investigating a possible arson crime.
After the fire on Sunday, a 64-year-old reportedly collapsed on the premises and later died in hospital. The man lived in the neighboring house and, according to initial findings, was not in the property, the police said. It is therefore conceivable that his death had no direct connection to the fire. An autopsy should provide clarity.
The number of reported injuries rose to twelve on Monday. The police said those affected suffered, among other things, smoke inhalation and external injuries. Some of the injured were treated in hospitals. The investigation into the cause of the fire continued on Monday. For this purpose, the location of the fire should, among other things, be examined more closely.
After the fire, the residents were initially accommodated in a gymnasium. Spontaneous donations made it possible to provide people with winter clothing and shoes, wrote Nördlingen’s mayor David Wittner on Facebook. Some children had to flee the burning accommodation barefoot.
According to police information, around 130 people lived in the asylum seekers’ home. The property was so badly damaged by the fire that it had to be demolished. The residents were able to be accommodated in various other accommodations on Monday night.