On the night of Tuesday, shortly before 1:00 a.m., a fire was reported to the St. Gallen cantonal police in the village square. A large contingent of rescue workers was deployed. That’s what the police say. One person was found dead in an apartment after around 90 minutes.
The identity of the dead person could not be determined by the police. The fire suddenly spread to surrounding apartments. Ten people were able to escape five surrounding apartments unharmed. The property damage amounts to several hundred thousand francs. The cause of the fire is not known. Two properties are no longer habitable.
Large contingent with over 150 people
When rescue workers arrived on site, they found an open fire near the upstairs windows. The residents of the affected property were able to leave their apartments independently. They were examined because of the heavy smoke development on site by the rescue and the emergency doctor.
Since the village center of Wattwils has a dense construction, several fire brigades with over 150 people were called out. The cantonal police were deployed with several patrols and specialists. The passage through Wattwil was blocked. The closure is expected to last until noon.
Fire not extinguished yet
According to Hanspeter Krüsi, spokesman for the St. Gallen cantonal police, the fire has not yet been extinguished. The fire brigade hopes that this will succeed in the course of Tuesday morning. The fire broke out in the attic of the building. The skeleton of the house, which is a protected site, has been preserved.
The St. Gallen public prosecutor has commissioned the forensic competence center of the St. Gallen cantonal police to determine the cause of the fire. (SDA/euc/dzc)