Four people are said to have died in a fire in a retirement home in Bedburg-Hau in North Rhine-Westphalia this morning. There are also said to be at least 58 injured.
When the fire department arrived at around 5 a.m. on Monday morning, the situation was dramatic, reports Michael Hendricks from the Bedburg-Hau volunteer fire department: “The attack teams found people in need of care in their beds. Some were standing at the windows and calling for help.” Windows were broken to save people.
Four residents died due to fire
The fire had already spread to such an extent that the firefighters could no longer access parts of the two-story building. In the meantime there were around 140 emergency services from the district Kleve on site. The hallways are completely black and several rooms are burned out.
According to initial reports, 58 people were injured. Four people were killed. The information about the injured was corrected several times. As of now there are 21. Of these, 15 are slightly injured. A police officer, a firefighter and someone from the seniors’ facility were released from the hospital by Tuesday.
Fire department: A resident’s cigarette may have been the cause of the fire
Several residents had to be taken to hospital.
The police are now investigating a 71-year-old resident. He is suspected of negligently causing the fire with a cigarette, according to police and prosecutors. It involves negligent arson, negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm. According to initial findings, the fire started in a resident’s room, which was then fully engulfed in flames. The resident was also injured and is in the hospital.
32 rooms uninhabitable
The 46 uninjured residents of the home were looked after by pastors. 32 rooms are uninhabitable. The fire alarm system is also destroyed. The people have now been transported to other facilities that came forward immediately after the fire to accommodate the people. Because the house is still uninhabitable, they cannot return on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Wüst and Interior Minister Reul praise emergency services
Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst was deeply affected and expressed his condolences to the relatives. He thanked all the emergency services on site.
NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) was in Bedburg-Hau in the morning. “It blows your mind, it makes you think, it makes you sad,” he says after the emergency services showed him the scene of the fire. “It’s a very depressing situation because people have died.”
But the fire also shows how well the fire brigade and rescue service worked. The emergency services were quickly on site. “I find it impressive how they mastered this and saved the vast majority of people,” said the Interior Minister.
Management of the seniors’ residence: “We are deeply shocked.”
The management of the seniors’ residence also thanks the emergency services. A statement from newcare states that the care and support of non-injured residents in the neighborhood accommodation is provided by its own employees. “We are deeply shocked and our thoughts are with the relatives of the deceased, but also with the injured.”
Our sources:
- Kleve police
- Bedburg-Hau volunteer fire department
- WDR-Reporter on site
- Kleve Public Prosecutor’s Office