Fire with Fatality in Vienna City: Investigations Started

After a fire with one fatality in Spiegelgasse in Vienna's city center, the police began investigations on Tuesday. The circumstances of the discovery of the body were "concerning," according to spokeswoman Anna Gutt. The man was found lifeless in the basement after the Vienna fire department was called to the fire in the city late Monday evening. The Vienna State Criminal Police Office is now investigating.

Identity of Deceased After Fire in Vienna City Confirmed

The emergency services were alerted at 11:00 PM, as fire department spokesman Christian Feiler told the APA. Eight vehicles rushed to the scene of the fire. 35 men extinguished the fire by 3:00 AM. In the course of this, the lifeless person was discovered and handed over to the Vienna professional rescue service. Resuscitation measures were unsuccessful.

The identity of the man has been clarified. However, since the relatives could not yet be informed, the police withheld this information. For investigative reasons, the authorities also did not want to disclose any details. An autopsy was already underway on Tuesday and was initially not completed in the afternoon. The police hope for initial results in the afternoon or evening.

Difficult Investigation Work After Fire in Vienna City

The investigation work proved difficult. The officers of the State Criminal Police Office were initially unable to enter the multi-story, maze-like basement because the rooms were completely filled with smoke. The building first had to be ventilated. However, around 11:00 AM, another fire broke out, presumably due to embers that reignited through the ventilation.

Even at 4:00 PM, the investigators could not enter the basement. According to Gutt, there were still many fire sources or embers, and the smoke was correspondingly dangerous. A crime scene inspection and securing of evidence could probably only take place on Wednesday. Whether the fire was set intentionally was initially unclear.

(APA/Red)

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