10 DIE IN GERMAN BLAZE; OFFICIALS SUSPECT ARSON.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. A suspicious predawn pre·dawn n. The time just before dawn. pre  dawn adj. fire raced through a home for immigrants
Thursday, killing at least 10 people, including a woman who desperately
leaped from an upper story while holding a child. Police detained de·tain tr.v. de·tained, de·tain·ing, de·tains 1. To keep from proceeding; delay or retard. 2. To keep in custody or temporary confinement: three men suspected of setting the fire. The child was severely injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. , one of 35 people hurt in the fire which, if deliberate, would be Germany's deadliest anti-foreigner attack since World War II. The three men were being investigated on suspicion of murder and arson, but authorities had not confirmed the cause of the fire. Luebeck prosecutor Michael Boeckenhauer said the fire started simultaneously in several places, indicating arson. But police later said they were still probing and had not ruled out "a technical defect" as the cause. The four-story building, which was reduced to a smoking shell, had housed asylum-seekers from Angola, Zaire, Lebanon, Syria and Poland. Four children were among those killed. Officials said an unknown number of people who lived on the upper floors still were missing. Firefighters combed the rubble for more bodies throughout the day, but with the house in danger of collapse, they called off the search late Thursday until morning. In all, 15 people were hospitalized, six with life-threatening injuries, officials said. About 20 others suffered less serious injuries. The fire horrified hor·ri·fy tr.v. hor·ri·fied, hor·ri·fy·ing, hor·ri·fies 1. To cause to feel horror. See Synonyms at dismay. 2. To cause unpleasant surprise to; shock. Germans, who have experienced a wave of anti-foreigner attacks since unification in 1990. The number of anti-foreigner attacks has dropped since a peak in 1993, however. German authorities have arrested hundreds of neo-Nazis, banned several groups and infiltrated the movement. Germany also changed its asylum law, resulting in a sharp drop in the number of foreigners Foreigners alienage the condition of being an alien. androlepsy Law. the seizure of foreign subjects to enforce a claim for justice or other right against their nation. gypsyologist, gipsyologist Rare. admitted. Survivors of the blaze were in shock. Wearing just a thin coat and slippers against the bitter cold, Joao Bunga of Angola stood in front of the scorched scorch v. scorched, scorch·ing, scorch·es v.tr. 1. To burn superficially so as to discolor or damage the texture of. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. shell of the house where he and his family lived while waiting for Germany to rule on their asylum request. Some friends tried to lead him into a warm bus, but he pulled away, refusing to leave the smoking ruin where his wife had perished. Bunga, who has been in Germany six years waiting for asylum, said he was awakened a·wak·en tr. & intr.v. a·wak·ened, a·wak·en·ing, a·wak·ens To awake; waken. See Usage Note at wake1. [Middle English awakenen, from Old English by his children crying, "Fire! Fire!" They managed to get out, but his wife did not. |
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