Hundreds evacuated after blaze at Berlin refugee shelter
Hundreds of residents were evacuated from a refugee shelter in Berlin’s Spandau district early Saturday after a fire broke out inside the six-story building. Four people suffered smoke inhalation, with three taken to hospital.
The fire started on the fourth floor of the building, which is designed to accommodate around 1,200 people. According to the fire department, furnishings caught fire in a corridor for reasons that have not yet been established.
Smoke quickly spread from the fourth floor to the fifth and sixth floors, forcing emergency crews to evacuate several hundred residents from the shelter. Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control.
Around 74 firefighters were involved in the operation. The fourth floor was left temporarily uninhabitable, while approximately 50 to 60 residents had to be transferred to emergency accommodation.
Four people were treated for smoke inhalation, and three were transported to hospital. The exact cause of the fire remains unclear, although police are now investigating the possibility of serious arson.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into how the fire started and whether it was deliberately set.