At least five dead in Espoo house fire
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At least five people died and five more were injured in a fire that destroyed a detached house in the Mikkelä district of Espoo, close to Espoon keskus, in the early hours of Thursday morning. At least one of the injured victims sustained serious injuries. All five were taken to hospital.
According to the duty fire chief Jarkko Häyrinen, it is possible that more bodies could be found in the razed building, as those who were in the house could not say exactly how many people were present in the building when the fire broke out.
The rescue authorities suspect that alcohol could have played a role in the blaze.
At present, the firefighters are still clearing the scene, which can disrupt traffic on the Espoonväylä road leading from Espoon keskus to Ring Road III.
The ceiling of the two-storey detached house collapsed, and the building was destroyed completely.
The fire apparently started around 4:00 a.m., and when the fire department arrived at the scene, the building was already well ablaze.
More than ten response units were on hand to extinguish the fire, the cause of which is not known as yet.
The building was a post-war veterans' house, which was owned by the City of Espoo and served as a rental home for individuals suffering from substance abuse. A total of four men lived in the house permanently.
"As far as I know, three homeless people had also been staying there for a long time", reported Erkki Tapanainen from the City’s Social Services.
Apparently, the persons who perished in the fire were all permanent residents of the house. Temporary board and lodging have been arranged for those who lost their home in the fire, a representative of the City of Espoo reported.
Espoo Mayor Marketta Kokkonen expressed her condolences to the families of the victims. Crisis assistance has also been arranged for the families of the deceased and for the injured.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 27.3.2008 - TODAY |
 At least five dead in Espoo house fire |
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