Great fire in Gelsenkirchen: residents in danger, police investigated!

On Thursday, January 2, 2025, a major fire occurred in Gelsenkirchen in an apartment building on Achtbergstrasse, near the border with Essen-Kray and Schonnebeck. The fire brigade received the first emergency calls at 8:53 p.m. and quickly moved out to the site.

When the fire brigade arrived, the emergency services found flames in the stairwell and ground floor. There was also considerable smoke from a side cultivation and the back of the building. Fortunately, all residents had already left the building, so that there were no direct missing people. A total of 20 people were cared for by the emergency services, whereby 15 of them had to be brought to surrounding hospitals.

emergency services and damage situation

Around 70 emergency services were on site to combat the fire. The condition of the house is currently to be classified as uninhabitable. The criminal police have investigated the cause of the fire, which is previously unclear.

In addition, further sources report that 21 people were registered in the building at the time of the incident. 18 people, including five children, were saved. Three people were initially reported as missing, but later confirmed as absent. Of the saved people, 15, including five children, suffered flue gas poisoning, and one person is seriously injured. The fire had spread quickly and intensively due to two gas bottles that were brought outdoors in time, which triggered a mass incidence of injuries (MANV). Several fire trucks were deployed to bring the situation under control, while the police continued to examine the cause of the fire, such as Essen reported.