Tragic Residential Fire Claims Lives of Two Young Children in Lower Austria

In a devastating incident on Saturday, a residential fire in a multi-family building in Gmünd, Lower Austria, resulted in the tragic deaths of two young children, aged two and four. The fire broke out during midday, and emergency services were quickly alerted to the situation, which involved multiple residents still inside the structure.

According to reports from local authorities, the children's mother sustained severe injuries and was airlifted to a medical facility by a rescue helicopter. In addition to the fatalities, several other residents were rescued from the building, with five individuals being hospitalized due to suspected smoke inhalation.

Over 100 firefighters responded to the emergency, working diligently to combat the flames while simultaneously searching for any individuals trapped within. The heavy smoke created significant challenges for the rescue teams, necessitating the use of aerial rescue equipment and smoke hoods to evacuate residents from the building's stairwell.

Emergency medical services included an acute response team from the Lower Austria emergency hotline, a crisis intervention team from the Red Cross, and peer support from the firefighters. The scene also saw the presence of 16 ambulance personnel and 10 police officers to provide additional assistance.

The circumstances leading to the outbreak of the fire remain under investigation, with officials working to determine the cause of the blaze.