According to a report, the major fire in Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, which left four dead, was a case of arson. The Wuppertal public prosecutor’s office is investigating attempted murder.
Two days after a major fire in an apartment building in Solingen, the Wuppertal public prosecutor’s office announced new findings. A preliminary report states that the fire was started intentionally.
A father, a mother and two children from a Bulgarian family were killed in the fire on Monday morning. Another nine people were taken to hospitals with injuries of varying severity.
No evidence for “xenophobic Motive”
According to the report, the fire broke out in the stairwell of the old building. Within five minutes, the fire would have spread to the roof through a so-called chimney effect.
As the public prosecutor emphasized, there was no evidence of a “xenophobic motive.” Wuppertal public prosecutor Heribert Kaune-Gebhardt added that “clear remains of an accelerant” were found in the wooden stairwell. Because of this, it must be assumed that arson was “intentionally set.” It is therefore being investigated for murder or attempted murder.
When the fire brigade arrived, the stairwell was already completely engulfed in flames. The residents were no longer able to escape via this route. In order to save themselves, several panicked residents jumped out of the windows. Up to 120 emergency services were on site to fight the fire.