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At least 11 dead in a high-rise fire in the Czech Republic

2020-08-08T18:40:27.002Z


It is the worst fire disaster in the Czech Republic since 1990: In the city of Bohumin in the east of the country, a fire broke out on the 11th floor of a prefabricated building. Desperate people jumped out the window.


It is the worst fire disaster in the Czech Republic since 1990: In the city of Bohumin in the east of the country, a fire broke out on the 11th floor of a prefabricated building. Desperate people jumped out the window.

Bohumin (AP) - At least 11 people died in a fire in a high-rise building in eastern Czech Republic. The agency CTK reported, citing a spokesman for the fire brigade. There are also three children among the dead.

The fire broke out in the afternoon in an apartment on the 11th floor of the 13-story prefabricated building in the city of Bohumin (Oderberg) on ​​the border with Poland, the police said. It spread to the floors above.

The fire brigade was on site with a large number and several turntable ladders. A rescue helicopter was also in use. No information could yet be given about the cause of the fire. "There are intensive investigations into the circumstances and causes of this tragic event," said a police spokeswoman. With 11 dead, it is the worst fire disaster in the country's history since 1990.

Eyewitnesses told Czech media that desperate people jumped out of the window while trying to escape from smoke and flames. The fire department later confirmed this. "I saw two people sitting on the windowsill who were on fire. Then one of them jumped - I couldn't watch any further," said a woman of the online edition of the newspaper "Pravo". A crisis intervention team should take care of the witnesses.

Bohumin is just 300 kilometers east of Prague and has a population of almost 21,000. The industrial city is an important rail hub

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200808-99-94472 / 2

CTK agency report, in Czech

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-08-08

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