BFour residents died and at least 21 were injured in a fire at a retirement home in Bedburg-Hau, Lower Rhine, early Monday morning. In addition, a firefighter and a police officer were so seriously injured that they were taken to hospital, said a police spokeswoman in Kleve. The West German Broadcasting Corporation (WDR) initially reported.
In addition to the injured, 46 other residents were evacuated and their health status is now being checked. “It cannot be ruled out that there will be more injured people: it was a big shock for them.”
According to WDR, the fire department arrived at the scene around 5 a.m. on Monday morning. Some of the residents are currently being treated in the seniors’ residence, while others have been taken to hospitals. The fire that broke out during the night has now been extinguished and extinguishing work is still ongoing. The cause of the fire is still unclear, said the police spokeswoman. Detectives are on site to begin the investigation. A spokeswoman for the retirement home operator Newcare did not want to comment on the fire for the time being.
A spokesman for the fire brigade described the situation as dramatic when the station arrived. The emergency services would have had to break some windows to save residents. A section of the two-story building could no longer be accessed when the firefighters arrived.
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