Two Malayali women among 3 Indians killed in Germany building fire

THREE Indians were killed and five others injured in a residential building fire in the German city of Bochum on Wednesday, according to local media reports.

The victims were two young women aged 25 and 27 and a 26-year-old man who were found dead by firefighters in an apartment on the second floor.

The five others who were injured, suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to the hospitals in Bochum. However, their nationalities were not specified in the media reports.

The police have arrested a 41-year-old Romanian national, who also lived in the building, on suspicion of murder.

Investigators have ruled out a technical defect as the cause of the fire and suspect arson, but whether the fire was deliberately set or started accidentally remains under investigation.

The accident happened early on Tuesday after the fire broke out in a multi-family residential building in Bochum's Hofstede district.

It was difficult for the firefighters to enter the apartments because the fire had spread upwards through the stairwell. This prevented the firefighters from using it to reach residents on the upper floors.

Manorama Online has identified the Malayalis as Nova Sabu (25) from Idukki and Anjali S Joy (27) from Perinad Chemmakkad in Kollam.