Fire in Bohumín, Moravia-Silesia claims 11 lives, two still in very serious condition

Bohumín, North Moravia, Aug 10 (CTK) – Four of the ten people injured in Saturday’s fatal fire in a prefab house in Bohumín, which claimed 11 lives, are still being hospitalized and two of them are in very serious condition, Ostrava Teaching Hospital spokeswoman Petra Petlachova told CTK today.

The fire in a flat on the 11th floor was probably set deliberately. The police have arrested one man in this connection.

“The condition of the patients remains unchanged. Two are staying at the intensive care unit in a very severe condition. One has been connected to a ventilator,” Petlachova said.

The injuries of the other two patients are less serious.

“Their lives are not endangered. They stay at a common hospital ward,” Petlachova said, but added that neither of them is to be released to home care in the hours to come.

Internal family discords are most probably behind the fire, Bohumin Deputy Mayor Igor Bruzl said on Sunday.

One of the house’s inhabitants, Miroslav, whose family turned up to pick up their effects today, said this was a huge tragedy.

“We know the people hit by the tragedy,” he said.

They were a three-member family with a boy aged about eight. On Saturday, there was a birthday party in their flat, also attended by children of the neighbours from a lower floor. The boys enjoyed playing together now and then, Miroslav said.

The fire broke out shortly before 18:00. Six people, including three children, died in the flat, and another five after jumping from the flat’s windows in an attempt to escape from the fire.

A total of ten people sustained injuries, mostly burns, in the fire, including two firefighters and one police officer.