It is a tragedy with terrible details: a young family died in a fire at home. Initial findings indicate arson. A search is underway for the perpetrators.
After the fire, which was allegedly deliberately set in an apartment building in Solingen, in which a young family was killed, the search for the perpetrators has begun. The Wuppertal public prosecutor’s office has also called on the public to help clarify the major fire. A tip telephone and an online portal have been activated. According to the public prosecutor’s office on Wednesday, there was initially no suspicion of a crime against a specific person. There were also no indications of a “xenophobic motive”.
Investigators assume arson
On Wednesday, the public prosecutor’s office presented the results of a preliminary report from fire experts on Monday’s devastating fire. The investigators therefore assume that the arson was intentionally set. The public prosecutor’s office said that residues of an accelerant were clearly detected in the wooden stairwell. The investigation is now underway into allegations of murder or attempted murder.
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During the drama on the night of Monday to Tuesday, a family presumably coming from Bulgaria was unable to escape from the attic. The 28 and 29-year-old parents died along with their three-year-old toddler and an infant who was only five months old. The baby’s body was only found hours later in the badly burned attic.
Flowers and candles lie in front of the scene of the fire in Solingen. picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Reichwein
Flowers and candles lie in front of the scene of the fire in Solingen.
It was no longer possible to escape via the wooden staircase; the flames had eaten into the roof within a few minutes due to the wooden construction and the resulting chimney effect. When the fire brigade arrived, the wooden stairwell was already ablaze.
The fire brings back bad memories in Solingen
In fear of their lives, residents jumped out of the 100-year-old burning building onto the street. Tenants on the third floor suffered serious injuries from the fire and jumping onto the street, according to prosecutors. According to a statement from the city of Solingen, there are three seriously injured people. According to the public prosecutor’s office, another five people from lower floors were also injured, but less seriously.
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