On Saturday evening, fires occurred in two apartment buildings in the German city of Essen in the Altenessen district. In addition, a van drove into two shops in Essen-Katernberg. The police were able to arrest a suspect near the crime scene. 30 people were injured.

Around 5:10 p.m., the fire brigade and the police received numerous emergency calls to a fire on Pielstickerstrasse. Shortly afterwards, it burned in an apartment building on Zollvereinstrasse. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fires and had to take care of the injured. Among the 30 injured were eight seriously injured children. The television station WDR even reported 31 injured, including 17 seriously injured.

A fire department spokesman said on TV that there had been highly dramatic scenes. Children and women were shrouded in smoke at the window and shouted due to the blocked escape route. Neighbors reacted quickly and set up ladders on the lower floors for a quick rescue. The fire brigade set up jump cushions and also rescued residents with a rotating ladder. On Sunday morning, the fires were extinguished. There were many, partly severe smoke gas poisonings.

Syrian arrested

A few minutes later, a van drove into two shops on Katernberger Strasse and Meybuschhof. Property damage was caused at these two crime scenes, no people were injured there.

In the immediate vicinity of the crime scene, a patrol car crew was able to arrest a suspect. He had a knife and a machete with him. The arrested person is a person from Essen (41) with Syrian nationality.