Daijiworld Media Network - Bochum

Bochum, Oct 14: Three Indian nationals were killed and five others injured in a fire at a residential building in the German city of Bochum early Tuesday, with police arresting a 41-year-old Romanian resident on suspicion of murder, local media reported on Wednesday.

The deceased were identified as two women aged 25 and 27 and a 26-year-old man. Their names and home states in India have not been disclosed. The nationalities and other details of the five injured people were also not specified in the reports.

German public broadcaster WDR reported the victims' details, citing Bochum police, while German news channel n-tv, citing the German Press Agency (DPA), reported that the arrested man was a Romanian national.

A Bochum police spokesperson told WDR that there were initial grounds to suspect the man of murder. He was questioned by officers from the homicide squad, and police and prosecutors announced his arrest on Wednesday.

Investigators have ruled out a technical fault and suspect arson. However, they are still examining whether the fire was deliberately set or started accidentally.

The fire broke out in a multi-family residential building in Bochum's Hofstede district. Emergency services were alerted at around 4.15 am local time on Tuesday.

Firefighters found the three victims dead in a flat on the second floor. The five injured people suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospitals in Bochum for treatment.

The rescue operation was particularly challenging as the flames had spread upwards through the stairwell, preventing firefighters from using it to reach residents on the upper floors, WDR reported.

According to the DPA report carried by n-tv, firefighters rescued two people using a turntable ladder, two with portable ladders and another with a safety cushion.

Investigators are continuing to establish how the suspected arson began, while the 41-year-old resident remains under suspicion of murder in connection with the deaths of the three Indian nationals.