On Friday morning, a fire broke out in the basement of a large community building in Vienna-Leopoldstadt. The professional fire brigade declared alarm level 3 and was deployed around noon with 25 emergency vehicles. A kindergarten on the ground floor of the Kurt-Heller-Hof had to be evacuated due to heavy smoke, as did several apartments.
This was reported by Gerald Schimpf, spokesperson for the fire brigade. “Several stairs are full of smoke.” Residents must keep their windows closed. The toddlers – about twenty girls and boys, another two groups were on an excursion, according to the spokesperson – were initially cared for in the courtyard. They have now been placed in another nursery school.
Victims are provided with oxygen on the spot
The professional rescue team was on duty with several rescue teams. “So far we have had to care for four patients,” reports spokesperson Andreas Huber. Those affected – three men and one woman – had inhaled smoke fumes. They received oxygen on the spot and did not have to go to the hospital.
Traffic restrictions on site
As soon as the alarm came in, the fire brigade issued an alarm level 2, which was later raised to alarm level 3. The firefighting efforts continued until mid-afternoon. There were traffic restrictions around the location at Engerthstrasse 249 to 253.
Community building with 270 apartments
The Kurt-Heller-Hof is a five- to eight-storey complex bordered by Handelskai to the northeast and Engerthstrasse to the southwest. The community building with approximately 270 apartments was built in the early 1980s.
Source: Krone
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