A suspected corona denier triggered an explosion in Ratingen. At least nine emergency services were injured, some seriously. A body was found at the scene.
Many of the backgrounds to the incident in Ratingen near Düsseldorf are still unclear. In the explosion in an apartment, a 25-year-old policewoman and a 29-year-old policeman were life-threatening and seven firefighters were seriously injured. In addition, several officers have suffered smoke inhalation.
After the explosion at around 11:15 a.m. on Berliner Strasse, numerous special police forces arrived at the scene of the crime. Officials cordoned off the area over a large area, armed police officers entered the high-rise building. Snipers also got into position. Video recordings show special forces accessing. According to the police, a total of 110 fire and rescue services from Ratingen and the surrounding area were deployed.
The body of a woman was found during the police operation. Due to their condition, the emergency services are certain that the person found dead died a long time ago. There was a strong smell of decay in the apartment, they report. According to the authorities, the 57-year-old lived with his mother in the apartment.
Alleged perpetrator arrested
The alleged perpetrator was arrested on site. He is being investigated for attempted homicide. The police and the Ministry of the Interior initially said nothing about whether the 57-year-old man resisted the arrest. With serious injuries, wrapped in a rescue blanket and wearing a breathing mask, the man was finally taken out of the house and to an ambulance. The police have also not given any information as to whether he was injured in the explosion or during the arrest.
Speculations are circulating locally that the emergency services may have been lured into a trap. These rumors are not officially confirmed or denied by the police and the Interior Ministry.
The information from the authorities initially differed as to who exactly had alerted the emergency services on Thursday morning and why. It is clear that the fire brigade and police assumed that there could be people in need in the apartment. They wanted to help. But when they wanted to open the door, the 57-year-old triggered a detonation with an object that had not yet been identified, reported NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU). According to a police spokesman, there was an immediate explosion and a fireball towards the emergency services. It is not yet possible to say whether it was a targeted attack. But the explosion has devastating consequences.
The alleged perpetrator is known to the police
The suspect apparently feels part of the corona denial scene. This is evident from his activities on social media, said Reul. There are also criminal police findings about him. According to information from the “Kölner Stadtanzeiger” there was already an arrest warrant against the man because he had not paid the fine after being convicted of bodily harm.
“My thoughts are with the injured firefighters and police,” said Reul in Düsseldorf. He wants to go to Ratingen soon. The police union (GdP) was also affected. “Police officers and firefighters do everything they can to save helpless people. The fact that they themselves become victims of an explosion stuns us,” said Deputy State Chairman Michael Maatz. “Our thoughts are now with our injured colleagues and their families.”
