Apolda (dpa/th) - Two days after the devastating house fire in Apolda (Weimarer Land district), it is still unclear when the investigators can enter the ruins. A structural engineer would have to make the decision, said a police spokesman on Tuesday. So far it has been too dangerous to enter the scene of the fire. Three fire victims found in the attic of the destroyed apartment building were rescued from the ruins on Monday using a turntable ladder over the roof.
According to the police, their identification continued on Tuesday. In addition, a 53-year-old man of Bulgarian origin died in the fire early Sunday morning when he tried to escape from the flames by jumping out of the window.
A 35-year-old suspect was provisionally arrested on Monday, and according to the Erfurt public prosecutor's office, investigations against him are ongoing on suspicion of murder and arson. The Bulgarian citizen is to be brought before the magistrate early Tuesday afternoon.
Almost two dozen people were injured in the fire, some seriously. According to the police, around 30 people were rescued from the house during the extinguishing work on Sunday, according to the fire brigade around half of them children. According to the city administration, only Bulgarian citizens lived in the house, and the house owner was also Bulgarian. A fire department spokesman spoke of 44 people reported in the house and five guests at the time of the fire.
A city spokesman said on Tuesday that the first people who lost their homes due to the fire had been assigned new apartments. According to the information, those affected initially stayed with relatives or acquaintances, and some were also admitted to the Evangelical community center. A fundraiser is underway for those affected.
