Video: At least four injured in fire at migrant workers' home in Velp
Update 10:10 a.m. - Article updated to add arson suspicions
Four people were injured and taken to the hospital in a large fire in a migrant workers’ accommodation in Velp, Gelderland. The fire brigade has the fire under control but cannot yet enter the house due to the risk of collapse to check whether anyone is still in there, according to the security region. The police are investigating whether arson is involved.
One person broke their leg when they jumped out of the window to escape the flames, a spokesperson for Veiligheidsregion Gelderland-Midden said. The other three victims’ injuries are unknown.
The large fire broke out in the corner house on Willemstraat at around 5:45 a.m. on Monday. Many migrant workers live in the building, the spokesperson said. “There were a lot of Polish people.”
An hour after the fire broke out, firefighters had the flames “reasonably under control,” according to the spokesperson at the scene. “But there is a danger of collapse,” he said. According to him, it “won’t be long before the facades come down.” As a result, firefighters can’t enter the building to search for any people left behind.
Emergency services evacuated several adjacent homes. Everyone managed to flee without any problems.
The police are investigating whether someone deliberately set the fire, according to De Gelderlander. In 2014, someone threw a Molotov cocktail into the same building, injuring two people.
Reporting by ANP and NL Times