Germany: Fire engulfs apartment complex in Essen

A large residential complex in the western German city of Essen had to be evacuated Sunday morning, after a large blaze took over a section of the building.

The fire took place in the Westviertel neighborhood, which lies directly west of the Essen city center. The cause is still unknown, but police have said that as soon as the blaze is brought under control, an investigation will be carried out.

Three people have been reported injured by the fire so far due to smoke inhalation.

Residents described a chaotic scene that began at approximately 2 a.m. (0100 GMT/UTC), as someone yelled "fire, fire," prompting people to leave their homes as quickly as possible. 

Eyewitnesses told the DPA news agency that the fire spread within the span of 20 minutes.

The flames were reportedly fueled partly by strong winds from storm Antonia, which battered parts of western and southern Germany on Sunday night.

Antonia is the third severe weather event in Germany in less than a week.  

Fire closes roads in Essen

According to Radio Essen, the blaze is thought to have started in one of the apartment unit's balconies. Some 50 units have been directly affected with roughly 100 residents evacuated from the building.

They were taken to a nearby university auditorium for shelter and to wait for information about the fate of their homes.

Authorities also evacuated scores of residents living near the affected building.

The incident drew some 150 firefighters to the scene, who were still trying to put down the fire as of early morning.

"This is very difficult and sometimes dangerous for the emergency services at the moment, they have to go into every apartment, " a fire department spokesman told the DPA, adding that it was unclear how long it would take.

But the fire's magnitude was one that Essen's fire department had "definitely never seen" in the city, a spokesman told Radio Essen.

The operation also led to the closures of major commuter roads leading to the city center, just as rush hour was beginning.

Edited by Darko Janjevic