German police announced on Sunday that a 72-year-old patient has been arrested on suspicion of starting a fire at a Hamburg hospital that resulted in three fatalities and dozens of injuries.
The blaze, which occurred in the geriatric ward of the Marienkrankenhaus hospital, claimed the lives of three individuals aged 84 to 87. An updated toll from authorities confirmed that 34 other people sustained injuries.
Police stated that the suspect is scheduled to appear before a judge on Monday as investigators work to determine if he was experiencing “psychiatric” problems. “While interviewing witnesses it appeared that a 72-year-old patient could be strongly suspected of being at the origin of the fire,” police said in a statement.
The fire reportedly began around midnight and posed a threat of spreading to the first floor. Lorenz Hartmann, a fire service spokesman, noted, “Several elderly people with reduced mobility had to be evacuated along the corridors.”
