Spreitenbach
Apartment block evacuated: 14 injured and smoke throughout the building – video shows the night’s events
A fire broke out in a block of flats in Spreitenbach on Monday night. 45 people had to be evacuated from the building. 14 people were injured, one of them seriously. The development of smoke was particularly problematic.
Traces of fire in the entrance area.
In Spreitenbach there was a large-scale operation on Bahnhofstrasse on Monday morning. A fire broke out on the ground floor of a block of flats. Due to the heavy smoke, 45 people had to be evacuated from the building. 14 people were injured, according to the Aargau cantonal police. One of them was serious and was flown by helicopter to hospital. It was initially assumed that 19 people were injured, but five were able to recover adequately in the fresh air. 31 uninjured people were cared for in a nearby gym during the operation.
The report of the fire was received shortly before 3 am, as Corina Winkler, spokesperson for the Aargau cantonal police, explained to Tele M1. An automatic fire alarm system triggered the alarm. The emergency services found the fire in the block of flats at the scene. Although it was extinguished quickly, there was a problem with the development of smoke, as Winkler explains. So the building was evacuated.
About 100 emergency services were deployed. The evacuation in the video.
The community helps those affected
Mayor Markus Mötteli explains that the uninjured evacuees would be taken care of in the gym. The fire was small, “but when you see the children in the gym, you are touched, they do not know what is going on,” he says. The community now wants to continue to support those affected.
He is very impressed with the rescue workers. “I was pleased with how professional and efficient the organization was.” Unfortunately, these are used to working on high-rise buildings. Less than two months ago there was also a fire in a high-rise building in Spreitenbach.
The high-rise fire in Spreitenbach in the video summary.
A relative of a resident tells Tele M1 that his mother sought shelter in the attic with others. She wanted to find safety with a pregnant woman and a father. But the door to the attic was locked and smoke filled the air.
“They were in panic, everyone was screaming,” reports the man. Meanwhile he was on the phone with his mother. Finally the father of the family broke the glass door with a hammer. Ten minutes later they could leave the house. His mother then had difficulty breathing and is now being cared for in the gym.
Resident on the stairwell fire: “We were not allowed to panic”
A fire broke out in the entrance area
According to Daniel Wiederkehr, commander of the Spreitenbach-Killwangen fire department, the emergency services arrived at the scene of a fire in the entrance area of the apartment block. It was destroyed within two minutes. The problem was, however, that the smoke was going through the entire staircase. Some residents went out of their apartments into the stairs or attic because they were trying to find safety. In doing so, they exposed themselves to the smoke.
* Update on large-scale Spreitenbach operation:*
– 14 people injured, 1 of them seriously
— Cap_Aargau (@Captain_Aargau) July 8, 2024
The cause of the fire is still unclear. Fire investigators from the Aargau cantonal police are currently working to clarify the cause of the fire. The investigative service is accepting information about the cause of the fire by calling 056 200 11 11 or sending an email to [email protected].
A total of around 100 emergency services were deployed, including the Cantonal Disaster Response Element (KKE). Police asked motorists to avoid the area as much as possible; There is now free travel again. All those not in hospital were able to return to their flats. (Argovia Today/cla/pin)