Arrest in Essen Man with machete sets fires - 8 children seriously injured

An armed man has set several fires in the German city of Essen. The police report 30 people injured, including eight children.

Fires broke out in two apartment buildings in the Altenessen district of the German city of Essen on Saturday evening. In addition, a delivery van drove into two stores in Essen-Katernberg. This was reported by the police in a statement.

Officers were able to arrest a suspect near the scene. 30 people were injured.

At around 5.10 p.m., the fire department and police received numerous emergency calls about a fire on Pielstickerstrasse. Shortly afterwards, there was a fire in an apartment building on Zollvereinstrasse. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fires and had to attend to the injured. Among the 30 injured were eight seriously injured children.

In TV interviews, a spokesman for the fire department spoke of dramatic scenes. Children and women were standing at the window covered in smoke and screaming. The fire department set up safety cushions and rescued residents using turntable ladders. The fires have now been extinguished.

Alleged perpetrator armed with a machete

A short time later, a van also drove into two stores on Katernberger Strasse and Meybuschhof. Property damage was caused at these two crime scenes, but no persons were injured.

A patrol car crew was able to arrest a suspect in the immediate vicinity of the crime scene. The suspect is a 41-year-old man from Essen with Syrian nationality. According to media reports, he had a knife and a machete with him.

The criminal investigation department has taken over the investigation and is examining the connections between the crimes. The specific motives of the arrested man are also being investigated.