Kempen (dpa / lnw) - By chance, police officers discovered an apartment fire in Kempen on the Lower Rhine on Wednesday night while driving past. Six people were injured by the smoke from the fire, four of them seriously. Danger to life cannot be ruled out for a 65-year-old resident. Passers-by on the street would have made the patrol car crew aware of the fire by waving, said Kempen's fire department department manager Andreas Winges on Wednesday on request. The "Westdeutsche Zeitung" had previously reported.
The police said in the afternoon that the people still in the three-story apartment building were rescued together with the rescue service. A 62-year-old resident was at the top floor window. The fire cut off his escape route. The patrol team threw the man a breathing mask, which allowed him to protect himself against the smoke fumes. The firefighters who arrived shortly afterwards rescued the man from the burning house.
According to the police, the other seven residents were able to leave the house on their own. The house was badly damaged and cannot be entered at the moment. An adjoining apartment building was also affected, it said.
According to the fire brigade, a total of 110 firefighters were involved in the extinguishing work, which lasted until the morning. The German Red Cross (DRK) was also on site to provide support. The criminal police took up the investigation. Because of the destruction of the house, nothing can be said about the cause of the fire.
