An arsonist, who was supposed to bring a lit canister to the pub, apparently attacked on Monday evening near the Liberec train station. 15 people were injured in the event, seven of them seriously. The police are investigating the act as a public threat.
Fire in the center of Liberec. | Video: Diary/Jiří Louda
“At the moment, we will transport the injured to medical facilities,” said Michael Georgiev, spokesman for the Medical Rescue Service of the Liberec Region. In the end, 11 out of 15 injured people ended up in the hospital in Liberec, one had to be resuscitated by paramedics. Some were burned, others inhaled pollutants.
The incident took place on Monday shortly before 10 p.m. at the Black Panther bar on May 1st Avenue. There were regarding 30 people in the company at that time. “Professional firefighters from Liberec went to the scene. Even before their arrival, several dozen people evacuated from the building. Firefighters rescued two more people from the building following arriving at the scene,” said Jaroslava Benešová, spokeswoman for the HZS of the Liberec region.
According to an eyewitness who confided in iDnes.cz, the entire event was preceded by an argument and one of the actors was supposed to say the words: “You’re all going to suck.” After a while, he allegedly returned to the business with a lit canister and threw it inside.
Firefighters were able to locate the fire quickly. “The police are currently investigating the whole case and will not disclose further details at this time,” regional police spokeswoman Klára Jeníčková told Deník.
Drug den. The bar in Liberec that was attacked by an arsonist does not have a good reputation
“I arrived from Mladá Boleslav by bus to the railway station and information was already circulating on social media that there was a fire,” witness Petr confided to Deník. The entire street was closed, not even trams passed through the place.
“Firefighters, rescuers and police at the train station in Liberec. A fire broke out in one of the pubs there, fourteen people were injured on the spot. Fortunately, the firemen located the fire quickly. The entire incident is under investigation. Thanks to all units for a quick and professional response. I hope all the injured will be fine,” said Liberec region governor Martin Půta on Facebook.
The rescuers took the injured people to hospitals. According to them, a total of 15 people were injured, of which seven have serious injuries. The paramedics took eleven patients to the Liberec Regional Hospital, where the level 2 trauma plan was activated. The Hradec Králové Air Ambulance Service got involved and transported one injured person to the Hradec Králové University Hospital. “We were helped by colleagues from the Medical Rescue Service of the Central Bohemian Region, who took over one patient who ended up in the Mladá Boleslav Regional Hospital, and two patients were transported by the ground crew to Prague to the University Hospital of Královská Vinohrady,” said the spokesman for the Medical Rescue Service, Michael Georgiev, on Tuesday morning .
Late-night fire: Police release description of man suspected of setting fire to late-night bar
Regional criminal investigators took over the investigation of the night event. They are investigating the case as a suspicion of committing a particularly serious crime of public endangerment. “At the moment, actions related to the search of the interior spaces using a dog to search for fire accelerants are underway,” the police said on the X network on Tuesday morning.