Three young Malayali students die in Germany fire; 41-year-old Romanian arrested in suspected arson

BOCHUM: Three Malayali students died and five people were injured in a fire at a multi-storey residential building in Bochum, Germany. Police have arrested a 41-year-old Romanian resident of the building on suspicion of murder.

The deceased have been identified as Anjali Sheela Joy of Kollam, Nova Sabu of Kattappana in Idukki, and Sivin Johny of Kalady. The three had moved into an apartment on the building’s second floor just two weeks before the incident. The fire broke out at around 4.15 am, and the stairwell was engulfed in flames and smoke, preventing firefighters from initially reaching the upper floors.

Rescue teams used ladders to evacuate four people, while another resident escaped by jumping onto an air cushion. The three students were later found dead inside their second-floor apartment.

Investigators have ruled out a technical fault as the cause of the fire and are investigating suspected arson. Local media have also reported a dispute at the building before the incident, although a link between the two has not been established. The investigation is ongoing.