Five members of a Somali family were killed early Tuesday in a suspected arson attack in Vantaa, just north of Helsinki, Finnish police said. An infant from the same family survived and was taken to hospital for treatment.
According to police inspector Mikael Backlund, two adults and three children — aged three, six and eight — were found dead in the building’s staircase around 6:30 a.m. Authorities believe the family became trapped by extremely heavy smoke while trying to escape from their upper-floor apartment.
A 70-year-old male resident of the building has been arrested on suspicion of starting the fire and is expected to be questioned. Investigators, including Sanna Rentola, said there is no indication the family was specifically targeted and have ruled out racism as a motive.
Police say the suspect’s motive remains unclear as investigations continue.
Source: TRT Africa
