A woman who was injured in a kiosk fire is in a severe state.
In Düsseldorf, a kiosk blows up, killing three people and injuring sixteen others. One badly hurt woman's life hangs in the balance at the hospital.
Six days after the blast and fire that claimed three lives and injured sixteen others in Düsseldorf, a critically injured woman's condition persists. A police spokesperson verified this when asked. Since concluding their on-site inquiries, the authorities have cleared the building. Residents collaborated with the building manager to reclaim their belongings from their apartments. However, the damaged building is unfit for habitation.
Düsseldorf police are looking into murder and arson, with petrol used as a fire accelerant in the first-floor kiosk of the affected residential and commercial structure. The explosion likely resulted from a spark igniting a gas-air mixture created by the petrol.
The kiosk operator's body was found near his store, and his death was attributed to the explosion. Authorities won't confirm if he orchestrated the blast but haven't ruled it out either. There are no indications of other suspects, accomplices, or confidants at the moment, said Prosecutor Martin Stücker when consulted. The kiosk's lease had expired, and Stücker said they were still determining if this could be a motive.
Neighbors described the 48-year-old operator as mentally unstable, but there were no reliable findings to support this claim. Ultimately, the cause of the explosion is still undetermined.
Another bizarre detail involved a 55-year-old resident, discovered dead in his apartment above the kiosk. Although he sustained recent injuries, they didn't directly cause his demise. The autopsy found that he died due to inhaling smoke. It's unclear whether he self-inflicted these injuries under panic learned of the fire. The authorities have found no evidence of external coercion in this case.
The fire quickly spread from the first floor throughout the six-story structure, complicating rescue efforts. The firefighters rescued many people from the balconies using turntable ladders as the stairwell had become blockaded. Surrounding houses were also damaged, and several cars nearby caught fire. When emergency crews arrived, they encountered a field of debris, with the detonation further damaging the house next door.
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Source: www.ntv.de
