Arson in Carlsberg Church of the Holy Cross
On February 26, the confessional in the Catholic Church of the Holy Cross was destroyed in a fire. According to the investigating authorities, a statue of a saint and a storage room were also damaged. A fire expert ruled out a technical defect on Friday, March 1, so the criminal investigation department in Neustadt is assuming arson.
A fire in the Catholic church in Carlsberg triggered a large-scale operation by the volunteer fire brigade on Monday afternoon. The fire broke out just to the left of the main entrance door. According to Markus Ittel, head of the Leiningerland fire brigade, the confessional is nothing but ashes. The interior of the church is covered in soot and extinguishing water. The firefighters had to break some of the beautiful window panes to provide better ventilation due to the large amount of smoke. It took almost three hours for the emergency services to extinguish the fire. The church was then sealed and has remained closed since.
The police are investigating arson as the cause of the fire, which resulted in 50,000 euros worth of damage.
Sources: Die Rheinpfalz, Update Die Rheinpfalz, SWR aktuell, FAZ
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