In a house fire

Fire department found a body in a cellar

Fire and rescue services had to arrive in Enns at 8 a.m.

(Bild: TEAM FOTOKERSCHI / KERSCHBAUMMAYR)

Fire drama in Enns (Upper Austria). A fire had broken out in the basement of a residential building. While a mother and her toddler were brought to safety in time, the fire department discovered the body of a man in the cellar a short time later - the investigation is ongoing.

Dramatic scenes unfolded in a housing estate in Enns at around 8 a.m. on Tuesday. A fire had broken out in the cellar of a two-storey detached house and a 38-year-old resident died in the flames. His sister, who lives on the upper floor, tried to save her brother. However, she failed, as did a police officer who was one of the first on the scene. He had tried unsuccessfully to get into the cellar to rescue the 38-year-old.

Infant and mother rescued
At the same time, the fire department was able to successfully rescue a toddler and his mother from the building. However, the man could only be rescued from the cellar dead.

"When we arrived, the mother told us that her daughter was still upstairs. The little girl was still in her pyjamas. She was of course terrified when we suddenly stood in front of her wearing breathing masks. Fortunately, the apartment wasn't extremely smoky. We then took the little girl outside through the stairwell and her mother out onto the terrace. But there was no danger to life

Anita Stummer, Vize-Chefin der Ennser Feuerwehr.

Four people had to be treated
Several breathing apparatus teams were deployed to fight the fire and carry out extensive extinguishing work. The emergency services treated a total of four people, none of whom had to be taken to hospital. The police have begun investigating the cause of the fire.