A 26-year-old woman and her 5-year-old child have died following a high-rise fire in the east of Berlin earlier in the week, the police said on Sunday, reported dpa.
The woman and her two young children were found unconscious in the stairwell on the third floor of the high-rise on Wednesday evening. The flat where the fire started was also located there.
Paramedics resuscitated the three but they could not save the 9-month-old infant, who died. The mother and the infant's brother were taken to hospital. Their condition was initially described as critical by the police.
The 5-year-old died on Friday afternoon, and his mother on Saturday evening, the police said on Sunday.
The fire broke out in a flat in the complex on Dolgensee Street in the Lichtenberg district. It spread rapidly because the rooms were cluttered. The occupant of the flat is believed to have been a hoarder, dpa learnt. The large amount of clutter made firefighting more difficult.
Police continue to investigate the cause
When the fire brigade arrived, flames were blazing from the windows. Emergency services entered the high-rise wearing breathing apparatus.
According to the fire brigade, 70 people were rescued or brought to safety from the smoke-filled 20-storey building. A total of eight people were taken to hospital.
The police reported that four people were taken to nearby hospitals on suspicion of smoke inhalation, including the 75-year-old man in whose apartment the fire is believed to have started.
The police are investigating the cause.
Around 170 firefighters were deployed, accompanied by numerous police officers.
- Berlin
- Fire
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
