Three Indian nationals killed in residential building fire in Germany

Three Indian students from Kerala died in an early morning residential building fire in Bochum, Germany, on October 13, 2026. German police arrested a 41-year-old Romanian resident on suspicion of murder, while homicide investigators ruled out a technical defect and opened an arson inquiry. The Kerala state government is coordinating with Indian diplomats to repatriate the deceased, as emergency services continue investigating the circumstances.

Outbreak and spread of the fire

• ▪A fire in a Bochum apartment building on Poststraße spread across the building after strollers set alight in the hallway caught fire and ignited the wooden staircase, blocking the primary escape route
• ▪A fire broke out in a multi-family residential building on Poststraße in the Hofstede district of Bochum, Germany, around 4:15 a.m. on October 13, 2026
• ▪Heavy smoke and flames spreading through the stairwell prevented firefighters from accessing upper floors via the staircase during the October 13, 2026 fire in Bochum's Hofstede district

Casualties and rescues

• ▪Three Indian students from Kerala, identified as 25-year-old Anjali Sheela Joy, 27-year-old Nova Sabu, and 26-year-old Sivin Johny, were killed in a fire in Bochum, Germany, on October 13, 2026
• ▪Five other residents suffered smoke inhalation during the October 13, 2026 fire in Bochum's Hofstede district and were taken to local hospitals for medical treatment
• ▪Firefighters rescued five residents from the burning apartment building in Bochum's Hofstede district using a turntable ladder, portable ladders, and a safety cushion

Arrest and detention of suspect

• ▪Bochum police placed a 41-year-old Romanian man in pre-trial detention for questioning, though formal charges have not yet been filed
• ▪German police arrested a 41-year-old Romanian national living in the same Bochum building on initial suspicion of murder following the October 13, 2026 fire in Bochum's Hofstede district
• ▪A Romanian suspect arrested in connection with the October 13, 2026 fire in Bochum's Hofstede district was already known to police for past assault and property offences

Kerala government response

• ▪Tourism Minister P.C. Vishnunath announced that the Kerala state government is coordinating with NORKA and the Indian Embassy to repatriate the bodies of three Kerala students killed in a Bochum fire
• ▪Kerala Tourism Minister P.C. Vishnunath spoke directly with the family of fire victim Anjali Sheela Joy following the October 13, 2026 tragedy