More than 30 injured, including two small children whose lives are in danger: This is the tragic outcome after two arsons in multi-story residential buildings in Essen (North Rhine-Westphalia).
After the suspect – a 41-year-old Syrian – is said to have set the fires, he rammed a white van into two grocery stores in the Katernberg district, according to police.
Video images show him storming into one of the shops with a machete and a knife – the police speak of stabbing weapons. Nobody was injured there. Shortly afterwards, the perpetrator was held at bay by several men in a backyard in the immediate area until the police arrived.
According to current information, investigators are assuming a private motive. The 41-year-old may have committed the crimes because “his wife had separated from him,” as the police said. He wanted to kill people who supported his wife. There is no political motive. The man is said to have previously come to the attention of the police for threats and damage to property.
The fires broke out one after the other on Saturday shortly after 5 p.m. The suspect is said to have used fire accelerant. The fire brigade brought some people to safety using ladders because the stairwells were no longer passable due to the fire.
Children kept out of windows
Before the rescue workers arrived, neighbors had already put construction managers on the wall of one of the houses. But these were too short, said the fire department spokesman. “But that meant that when we arrived there were already people hanging on the windows, keeping children out.” The situation was “dramatic”.
The firefighters then initially laid out a jumping pad, but it was not used.
