Three Indian Nationals Killed in Bochum Building Fire

A fire at a residential building in Bochum, Germany, killed three Indian nationals and injured five others, while police arrested a 41-year-old Romanian resident on suspicion of murder. Investigators have ruled out a technical fault, but have not determined whether the fire was deliberately set or accidental. The fire broke out early Tuesday, October 13, in the Hofstede district. Firefighters found the bodies of two women, aged 25 and 27, and a 26-year-old man in an apartment on the building’s second floor, according to police. The five injured people suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospitals. The Romanian man, who lived in the building, was arrested as authorities investigate the deaths. The arrest and murder suspicion do not establish that he caused the fire. Police and prosecutors announced the arrest on Wednesday, October 14, and a homicide squad is investigating. Investigators have ruled out a technical defect as the cause, but the fire’s origin remains undetermined. Although some reports describe arson as a working suspicion, authorities have not established whether the blaze was deliberately started or resulted from an accident.