35 people were injured by smoke in a fire in a large residential complex in Nittenau in the Upper Palatinate. According to preliminary information, 2 people were seriously injured, 5 moderately injured and 28 slightly injured, a spokesman for the fire department said on Thursday evening. There were also children among them, confirmed a spokesman for the Upper Palatinate police headquarters. The seven seriously injured people were taken to a hospital, and one person was flown to a clinic by rescue helicopter.
Around 60 residents are registered in the rental complex in the Schwandorf district, which consists of two halves. They were initially accommodated and cared for in a neighboring sports hall, as the police spokesman said. “The house is likely to be uninhabitable until further notice.”
There was initially no information about the cause of the fire because criminal police specialists were initially unable to enter the building. “According to current information, the fire broke out in the basement, in a storage room where paper or waste paper was stored,” explained the police spokesman. That’s why there was a lot of smoke.
Numerous rescue workers were on site, and the fire department arrived with 150 helpers. They were able to quickly extinguish the fire, which broke out around 5 p.m., and rescued seven people using turntable ladders and extension ladders. The “Mittelbayerische” first reported on the fire. According to the police, specially trained fire investigators plan to investigate the scene of the fire on Friday.
