Germany: Suspected arson attack destroys refugee shelter in Nauen

Mayor of Nauen Detlef Fleischmann said on Tuesday that it should become clearer whether a refugee housing complex in the town was destroyed in a deliberate act of arson. Police say a secondary school sports hall converted into a temporary shelter for up to 130 asylum seekers caught fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning, gutting the building. No one was injured in the blaze. Whether the fire was started deliberately is unclear. But there is a justified suspicion that it was not a technical fault, said Fleischmann. If it was deliberate arson, it would a "villainous crime," he added. A wave of arson attacks against buildings allocated for refugee housing has hit Germany in recent weeks. On Monday a house for refugees in Weissach im Tal went up in flames. Authorities suspect that this too was a deliberate attack.