An apartment fire broke out in Bohumin in the Moravian-Silesian Region on Saturday evening, killing eleven and injuring another ten. The incident is still under investigation, but officials are currently saying the probable cause was arson. The motivation may have been a family dispute. Photo credit: Tomáš Lach via HZS Moravskoslezského kraje.
Czech Rep., Aug 10 (BD) – On Saturday, shortly before 6pm, a fire broke out in a flat on the 11th floor, on Nerudova in the Nový Bohumín area. Six people, including three children, died in the apartment. Another five died after jumping from the house in a panic. Ten more people were injured, of which five were still in the hospital on Sunday. The injured include two firefighters and a police officer.
The investigation began Saturday night; traces of a flammable substance were found near the apartment, and one person was detained in connection with the fire. The director of the Moravian-Silesian police, Tomáš Kužel, told Czech Television that the detainee was in a medical facility and had not yet been questioned by the police. “We can confirm that traces of a combustion agent were found at the site. So far, we can not determine exactly whether it was in one place or in several places, nor can we determine what the substance was,” said regional firefighter spokesman Lukáš Popp.
According to the Deputy Mayor of Bohumín, Igor Bruzl (ČSSD), the fire was probably related to a family dispute. “It’s our house and our tenants, so we know something about them. They’ve lived there for a long time. I have information that it’s not a neighborhood dispute, but a family problem,” said Bruzl to CTK. “It was supposed to be a celebration, which was probably attended by a guest who may not have been invited there, and he approached it the way he approached it, it’s crazy.”
Tenants of the building were able to take their possessions from the apartments, and even to return to live in their apartments from Sunday, but there is still no electricity. CTK reported that an estimated 150 people had to leave the building, but most of them found alternative housing with acquaintances or relatives. According to Bruzl, only two tenants needed accommodation provided by the city.
