Berlin-Buckow: Eight hurt in basement fire at high-rise, police suspect arson
Eight people, including children, suffered smoke inhalation in a basement fire at a residential high-rise in Berlin's Buckow district. Thirty-two flats are uninhabitable for now.
Symbolic image · Photo: User:Sebaso / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Fire broke out late on Sunday in the basement of an eight-storey residential block in Berlin's Buckow district. Several storage compartments covering about 100 square metres burned, and smoke spread up the stairwell to the top floor. According to the fire brigade, eight people, including children, inhaled smoke and were taken to hospital. Some residents were led out wearing escape hoods.
The fire brigade deployed about 120 personnel and 40 vehicles and declared a mass-casualty alert. Operations lasted until about 3:30 a.m. on Monday. Power had to be cut because the basement wiring was badly damaged, leaving 32 flats temporarily uninhabitable. Most residents stayed with friends or relatives; the district office arranged emergency accommodation for the rest.
Police have taken over the investigation. A spokesman told dpa that investigators currently assume aggravated arson. There was no information on suspects or a motive, and the cause has not been conclusively established.