Three dead and five injured in apartment building fire in Bochum's Hofstede district
Firefighters found three adults dead in a second-floor apartment during extinguishing work, and five people were treated for smoke gas poisoning. The cause of the fire and the amount of damage remain unclear.
The fire and the alarm
A fire broke out in an apartment building in the Hofstede district of Bochum in the early hours of 13 October. Fire crews were alerted at about 4.15 am (one report gives 4.16 am) and found the blaze already well advanced when they arrived, the fire service said. Police and the fire service both confirmed the casualty figures.
Rescue from the building
The fire service described the rescue of people from the building as complex. Two people were brought down by turntable ladder, two more by portable ladders, and one person jumped into a fire service airbag (Sprungpolster). Five people suffered smoke gas poisoning and were taken to hospital.
- Dead
- 3 people
- Smoke gas poisoning
- 5 people
Three people found dead
During the extinguishing work, firefighters found three adults lifeless in a second-floor apartment. Resuscitation attempts failed, and the three died at the scene, the fire service and police reported. Police had earlier reported five injured in the early morning, and the three deaths were found during the continued extinguishing work.
Open questions
Police said the cause of the fire and the amount of damage were still unclear. Police could not say how long the operation would last, and the street in front of the building remained closed while crews worked. The police spokesperson said the incident was still very fresh.
