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3 Indians killed in fire at residential building in Germany's Bochum; one arrested on suspicion of murder
The victims were two women aged 25 and 27, and a 26-year-old man, all Indian nationals.
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Three Indian nationals were killed in a fire at a residential building in the German city of Bochum, police said on Wednesday.
The victims were two women aged 25 and 27, and a 26-year-old man, according to the police. Five other people suffered from smoke inhalation and were taken to hospitals in Bochum for treatment.
A 41-year-old Romanian resident of the apartment building has been arrested on initial suspicion of murder, police said, adding that investigation by the homicide squad is underway.
According to police, fire investigators examined the house and ruled out a technical defect as the cause of the fire and are now assuming arson. However, investigators are yet to determine whether the fire was deliberately set or occurred accidentally.
About the incident
The fire broke out early Tuesday morning, with emergency responders discovering the three bodies in an apartment on the second floor.
The police were informed of the incident at 4:16 am, following which rescue and firefighting operations were initiated.
Rescue operations were particularly challenging as the flames had spread upwards through the stairwell, preventing firefighters from using it to evacuate residents, as they would typically do, according to local media.
Police visited house days ago
According to local media reports, police were called to the same building on Sunday following a dispute.
Authorities had also responded to several other incidents at the property previously, but initial information suggests that these were unrelated to the fire.
(With inputs from Westdeutscher Rundfunk)
