Injured in fire at refugee shelter
Multiple people were injured in a fire in Herford. It is still unclear how the fire in the refugee shelter occurred. The police exclude a firebomb attack from outside and are now investigating what happened inside the building.
At a fire in a refugee shelter in Herford, eight people were injured. According to preliminary findings, these were light injuries caused by inhaling smoke, said a police spokesperson. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The "Neue Westfälische" reported on it.
There was a significant smoke development, said the spokesperson. A building was affected in which 146 people were accommodated. "The fire apparently broke out in a room where refugees were accommodated", said the spokesperson. The 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 stage", said the policeman. The shelter is an former British barracks, which 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. "All that will still have to be investigated", so the spokesperson.
The fire incident occurred in a refugee shelter located in North Rhine-Westphalia, specifically in Herford. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed concern about the safety of the refugees following this incident.
