- Three Indian nationals killed in Germany residential building fire.
- Romanian resident arrested, suspected of murder following the blaze.
- Investigators suspect arson, ruling out technical defect in fire.
- Police responded to prior dispute at building days earlier.
Three Indian nationals were killed in a fire at a residential building in Bochum, Germany, police said on Wednesday. A 41-year-old Romanian resident of the building has been arrested on initial suspicion of murder, while investigators are probing the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The victims were two women aged 25 and 27, and a 26-year-old man, according to the police. Five other people suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospitals in Bochum for treatment.
Fire investigators have ruled out a technical defect as the cause of the blaze and are proceeding on the assumption that it was arson. However, authorities are yet to establish whether the fire was deliberately set or occurred accidentally.
How The Fire Broke Out
The fire broke out early Tuesday morning. Emergency responders discovered the bodies of the three Indian nationals in an apartment on the second floor of the building.
Police received information about the incident at 4:16 am, following which rescue and firefighting operations were launched.
According to local media reports, the rescue operation was particularly challenging because the flames had spread upwards through the stairwell. This prevented firefighters from using the staircase to evacuate residents, as they would ordinarily do.
Romanian Resident Arrested
Police arrested a 41-year-old Romanian resident of the apartment building on initial suspicion of murder. A homicide squad is investigating the case.
Although investigators have ruled out a technical defect as the cause of the fire, they have yet to determine whether it was deliberately started or occurred accidentally.
Police Had Responded To Dispute At Building Days Earlier
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 in the past. However, initial information suggests that those incidents were unrelated to the fire.
