Building evacuated

Woman (27) set fire in asylum home: five injured

A 27-year-old woman from Somalia started a fire in her room at the asylum home in Kindberg (Bruck-Mürzzuschlag district) on Tuesday. 160 people had to be evacuated and five people were injured.

At around 12 noon, a fire broke out in the single room of a woman (27) accommodated there on the ground floor of the facility. Several members of staff immediately came to the rescue. They immediately brought the Somali woman, other residents and all employees to safety. In total, more than 160 people were brought outside within a short space of time. The Kindtal fire department was alerted and quickly extinguished the fire. Several Red Cross vehicles were also deployed and, together with an emergency doctor, provided initial medical care. Four employees of the facility suffered smoke inhalation and were taken by the Red Cross to various locations of the LKH Hochsteiermark.

Initial investigations into the cause of the fire
Initial investigations revealed that the 27-year-old woman may have started the fire in the room herself due to her exceptional mental state. She herself apparently did not suffer any injuries, but was taken to a hospital in Graz for further medical treatment. The amount of property damage has not yet been determined. The residents who were evacuated for the time being were able to move back into their rooms once the operation was over.