Major blaze at a high school in Hannover-Misburg area of Hannover city

In the heart of Hannover, a significant incident occurred at the Mühlenweg elementary school on Wednesday afternoon. The fire department and emergency services were quickly on the scene, battling the blaze that engulfed the school's gymnasium.

The fire, which started at approximately 18:44, spread rapidly, causing the gymnasium to be almost completely destroyed. The initial cause of the fire, which originated from the construction scaffolding, is currently under investigation by the Hannover Fire Department and the police.

Upon arrival, firefighters found the fire had already spread to the building, and they sounded the alarm. The operation to combat the fire was challenging due to its dynamic spread, according to the deputy head of the Hannover fire department, Gregor Fleischmann.

During the intense three-hour firefighting efforts, two firefighters suffered burns, and a rescue vehicle was damaged due to the high intensity. Fortunately, no further injuries were reported, and the fire did not spread to other school buildings.

As a precaution, residents in the affected areas were advised to keep doors and windows closed and to turn off ventilation systems. The priority during the firefighting efforts was to protect nearby school buildings, particularly the school buildings for the students of Grundschule Mühlenweg, who have been affected by this incident.

Mayor Belit Onay visited the scene and stated that the fire likely caused millions in damage and is a hard blow to students and sports clubs. The head of the schools department of the state capital Hannover, Hans Jürgen Licht, announced that classes for all students of Grundschule Mühlenweg will be cancelled tomorrow.

The roof of the gymnasium has collapsed, making follow-up firefighting operations complex and expected to continue into the night. The smoke from the fire was visible over large parts of eastern Hannover. In response to the incident, 97 more personnel are on standby at fire and rescue stations and volunteer fire departments for potential parallel deployments.

For further inquiries, contact the Fire Department Hannover at Benjamin Pawlak (Phone: 0511 912-1405, Email: [email protected], Website: https://www.feuerwehr-hannover.de). The fire department currently cannot provide any information on the extent of the damage or the cause of the fire.

As the situation unfolds, the community stands together in support, offering assistance and prayers for those affected by this unfortunate event. The fire department and emergency services continue their efforts to bring the situation under control and ensure the safety of the community.