Zoom Image
Fire brigade operation in Hanover: There was a fire in front of a mosque
Photo: Wolfgang Maria Weber / IMAGO
In the northern city of Hanover, there was a fire in front of a Turkish mosque on Tuesday night. The fire broke out in the outdoor area of a kebab shop, which is located directly below the church.
According to the police, the fire was reported at around 1.20 a.m. and extinguished by passers-by before the fire brigade arrived. Since the restaurant was closed at the time, no one was injured. However, the fire damaged some chairs, the façade of the building, as well as a window. The exact amount of damage is not yet known.
The cause of the fire is also still unclear. The police carried out an extensive forensic investigation and initial interviews during the night. An immediately initiated search for the perpetrators was without result.
Snack bar located under a mosque
The chairman of the National Association of Muslims, Recep Bilgen, spoke on Twitter of an "attack on the largest mosque in Hanover" and called for clarification and the protection of Muslim places of worship.
The police said it was being investigated "in all directions". Witnesses to the incident are asked to come forward – "in particular, the two previously unknown persons who extinguished the fire before the arrival of the fire brigade," it says.
ZOB