Fire in Ostwestfalen - Eight injured in fire at refugee shelter
At a fire in a Refugee shelter in Herford, eight people have been injured today. According to preliminary findings, these injuries were caused by inhaling smoke, said a police spokesperson. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The "Neue Westfälische" reported on this.
There was a significant smoke development, the spokesperson said. A building housing 146 people was affected. "The fire apparently broke out in a room where refugees were also accommodated," the spokesperson said. Investigations into the cause of the fire will begin as soon as the building is accessible.
"We can exclude a firebomb attack from outside at this point in time," the policeman said. The shelter is a former British barracks that has been completely converted and is guarded by a security service. Therefore, access control takes place there. The likely cause, according to the spokesperson, is an incident in the facility that could have been deliberately or negligently caused. "That will still have to be determined," the spokesperson said.
- The refugee shelter in question is located in the city of Herford, which is part of North Rhine-Westphalia, one of the largest states in Germany.
- The Fire Department in Eastern Westphalia, a region in North Rhine-Westphalia, was called to extinguish the fire at the refugee shelter in Herford.
- The Sorabia-Westfalen Münster Chapter (Comradeship), a local organization, has offered their assistance to the refugees affected by the fire, providing them with temporary shelter at their facility.
- Upon investigating, the police and the Fire Department found no evidence of a firebomb attack, but they are still investigating the possible cause, which could be either deliberate or negligent, within the refugee shelter itself.
