Flat fire in Alt-Treptow: firefighters rescue seriously injured person, four in hospital

Four people were injured in a flat fire in Berlin's Alt-Treptow district on Thursday evening. According to the Berlin fire brigade, two people suffered serious and two minor injuries; all four were taken to hospital. The fire broke out in a second-floor flat in a rear building belonging to a five-storey residential block.

Firefighters carried a seriously injured person directly out of the burning flat and brought other residents to safety, who were examined on site by paramedics. Because of the number of people affected, the fire brigade raised the alert level as a precaution and activated its mass-casualty plan. According to the fire brigade, the resources deployed included eleven fire engines, two turntable ladders, seven ambulances, two emergency doctor vehicles and a rescue helicopter.

Several teams wearing breathing apparatus fought the fire from inside, after which the building was cleared of smoke with a high-capacity fan. Crews checked every flat, forcing several doors open to do so. The cause of the fire is still unclear; the fire brigade handed the scene over to the police, who have taken over the investigation.