The fire tragedy in Apolda with four dead shook the Bulgarian community in Germany. Because she met a house in which only Bulgarian nationals lived.
Apolda (dpa/th) – The ambassador of Bulgaria in Germany, Elena Radkova Shekerletova, thanked the emergency services and the city administration for their commitment after the fire tragedy in which four people died in Apolda, Thuringia. The fact that fire brigades, rescue workers and the city reacted so quickly saved the lives of other people, said the ambassador on Wednesday during a visit to Apolda. “People appreciate that.” Before a meeting with representatives of the city and emergency services, the diplomat spoke to around 20 Bulgarian compatriots who had lived in the house that was largely destroyed by the fire.
A 53-year-old man of Bulgarian origin died early Sunday morning in the fire inferno after trying to jump out of the building. Three other dead bodies discovered in the ruined fire have not yet been identified, and according to the Erfurt public prosecutor’s office, the forensic medical examinations are still ongoing. According to a spokesman, three people are missing from an attic apartment. According to the ambassador, they are said to be members of a Bulgarian family who have just moved into the house and who have not yet been officially registered with the authorities.
The house is now fully controlled, said the Apolda city fire chief Ingo Knobbe on Wednesday. “We can say that no one is more to mourn as a victim.” Firefighters and investigators had feared more victims in the fire debris. Almost two dozen people were injured in the fire, some seriously, including two firefighters.
Shekerletova described how much the survivors of the tragedy suffered from what they experienced. The children in particular are traumatized and urgently need psychological support. Many of the survivors hardly speak any German, “that’s why they’re not particularly well informed about what’s happening at the moment.” The most urgent question for her is the release of the victims, who have not yet been officially identified, so that their remains can be buried in Bulgaria. “Most are disoriented as to how to proceed.”
In a dramatic action, the emergency services rescued around 30 people from the burning house, including many children. According to the ambassador, the youngest was a 25-day-old baby. According to Apolda’s mayor, Rüdiger Eisenbrandt (free voters), two families who lost their homes in the fire have already signed new leases. Agreements were still in progress with five families. For two more families it is difficult to find a sufficiently large apartment. The city has set up a donation account for the fire victims.
A 35-year-old man, also a Bulgarian citizen, is in custody on suspicion of murder and arson. He was provisionally arrested on Monday after he reported another matter to the police in Jena, according to the public prosecutor. Nothing is known about his motive, according to the investigating authority, he had not spoken to the magistrate either. The investigators received information about him from recordings from a surveillance camera that showed him with petrol cans in his hand. According to the fire department, the fire broke out in the stairwell.
Because the building was destroyed, the fire brigade has so far only been able to examine the scene of the fire from the roof using a turntable ladder. According to the city fire chief, it was noticed that the smoke detectors that were actually required were apparently missing. “So far we have not been able to identify smoke detectors,” said Knobbe. The property damage was estimated by the police at around two million euros.
According to the city, only Bulgarian citizens lived in the affected house, and the house owner is also Bulgarian. According to city administration statistics, around 770 Bulgarian nationals live in the 22,000-inhabitant district town of the Weimarer Land. According to the mayor, a memorial service will be held on Friday for the victims of the fire.