Communication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
06 April 2024 News
In connection with the publications in the media and social applications concerning the fire with victims on 25.03.2024 in Solingen, Germany, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs the following:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria is working on the case of the serious fire in the German town of Solingen on 25 March 2024, in which four Bulgarian citizens died and three others were injured, since the initial information about the serious incident was received.
The Consulate General of Bulgaria in Frankfurt, the Embassy of our country in Berlin, as well as the Honorary Consul of Bulgaria in the province of North Rhine-Westphalia, Werner Jostmeier, have been in constant contact with the local authorities since the first days after the tragic event in order to clarify the identity of the victims and the circumstances that led to their deaths. The issue of the need for a swift investigation into the causes of the fire was also raised by Bulgaria's Ambassador to Berlin Grigor Porozhanov during a bilateral meeting at the German Federal Ministry of the Interior. A readiness to cooperate in the field of police cooperation was also expressed.
Following an official request from the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Frankfurt to the competent local authorities, information was received on 27 March 2024 from the Mayor's Office of Solingen on 27 March 2008, the authorities of the city of Solingen informed the authorities that the public prosecutor's office was investigating a serious fire in which four citizens had been killed, probably as a result of deliberate arson. Due to the increased public interest, the investigating prosecutor in the case, Mr Heribert Kalune-Gebhard, announced publicly on the same day that at this stage there was no evidence that the crime was motivated by xenophobic motives.
The Bulgarian diplomatic mission in Berlin was officially informed of the identity of the victims on 4 April 2024, when the death certificates issued by the local authorities were received. The Bulgarian citizens who died were four, including two minor children. With the assistance of the criminal police of Solingen, the other Bulgarian citizens injured in the fire were identified – a young family with one child, and our diplomatic mission is in constant contact with the hospital where they are being treated.
It is expected that next week the three injured citizens will be allowed to be visited by the Bulgarian Consul in order to provide the necessary assistance and support. So far, no request for assistance has been received by the Bulgarian diplomatic missions in Germany from the relatives of the deceased or the injured Bulgarian citizens.