Wednesday 13, March
Suspicion of serious arson: Police investigate fire at Tegel refugee accommodation
On Tuesday afternoon, a fire broke out at the refugee accommodation on the site of Berlin’s former Tegel airport. While the cause of the fire is still unclear, police have started looking into suspicions of arson, according to reports from Tagesspiegel.
A lightweight construction hall was completely destroyed by the fire and a heavy cloud of black smoke was already billowing above the defunct airport by the time emergency workers arrived just before 2pm.
Luckily, no one was injured in the blaze, but most of the refugees living in the destroyed accommodation have lost all their belongings. Apparently, alternative accommodation for the affected refugees, most of whom are from Ukraine, has been organised.
While police investigate the possibility of arson, some officials (including the spokesperson for LAF; Berlin’s State Office for Refugee Affairs) believe the cause of the fire could simply be down to the camp being overcrowded and unsuitable for long-term accommodation. “We have always warned that Tegel is not suitable for accommodating so many people. The Senate must now draw conclusions” said Jian Omar, the Green Party’s migration expert.
