Eight children seriously hurt in arson attack in German city of Essen

A man has been arrested after allegedly setting off two fires in the western German city of Essen that left 30 people injured and driving a van into two shops, authorities said on Sunday.

Emergency services were alerted to two fires in residential buildings in quick succession shortly after 5 p.m. on Saturday, police said. The injured people included eight children who were seriously hurt, and two of them were in a life-threatening condition after inhaling smoke.

The fire service said that, when it arrived at the scene of the first blaze, smoke was billowing from the entrance of the building and people were calling for help from windows. Neighbours had put up ladders to help people escape, but they weren’t long enough to reach the upper floors.

Shortly after the fires broke out, a van drove into two shops in the city, causing damage to property but no injuries. The suspect then allegedly threatened people with weapons, but several men managed to push him back with shovels and poles and hold him until police arrived.

Police said the suspect was a 41-year-old Essen resident with Syrian citizenship. They said they were investigating a possible motive.

According to the Germany Press Agency, the man’s lawyer Volker Schröder said he had no political motive and that it was a “purely tragic family story. A fight against his wife for the children – and probably a mental disorder.”