Cause unclear

Fire in the laundry at Karlau prison

On Tuesday morning, a fire broke out in the prison laundry at Graz-Karlau prison. An employee discovered the heavy smoke and heat development. There was considerable damage to property, but fortunately no one was injured. The cause of the fire is unclear.

It was around 6.30 a.m. on Tuesday morning when a Karlau prison officer was making his usual rounds. But a nasty surprise awaited him on the second floor: a fire had broken out in the prison laundry.

Smoke and heat billowed towards him
Gerhard Derler, head of the prison, reported a "strong development of smoke and heat", which the guard noticed on entering. But it was a stroke of luck: "Due to the lack of oxygen, the fire extinguished itself," says Derler.

Cause of the fire has yet to be determined
There was considerable material damage, although fortunately no one was injured. It is still completely unclear why the fire started - investigations by the fire investigation team are ongoing. Derler is also reassuring: "The cleaning of the laundry is still guaranteed."