The fire broke out around 19:30. At 21:30, the fire was still not under control. It started at the ‘Kik’ store and spread to the adjacent building, according to the Safety Region. Nearby apartments have been evacuated, but the spokesperson could not say how many. Affected residents who have no other shelter can go to the nearby Mare Nostrum community center.
It is still being investigated whether the two minors actually started the fire, according to the police. Because it is shopping night, it is very busy in the shopping center. ‘Give emergency services space’, is the request.
A reporter sees that many people are watching: “A lot of young people who seem to find it exciting, but I also see worried faces. You can see them thinking: ‘What happened here?'”.
Anxious
Two women say they were eating at a nearby restaurant when it happened. “It was terrifying. There was so much black smoke. T-shirt over my nose and outside. It was very scary, you can’t see anything and you can’t breathe.”
Demolition work is currently underway to allow for more targeted extinguishing.
