16 Die in German Airport Fire; Dusseldorf Facility Closed

Fire broke out in a flower shop at the Dusseldorf airport Thursday, killing at least 16 people and injuring 100, police said.

Most of the dead were found in a waiting lounge for Air France, but others were discovered in an elevator and a restroom, said Franz-Josef Kniola, state interior minister for North Rhine-Westphalia.

The dead included a 24-year-old police officer assigned to the terminal, but officials said few of the other victims had been identified.

Most of the deaths were caused by poisonous fumes.

The fire appeared to have started in the terminal’s first-floor ceiling, and police said they had not ruled out repair work at the ground-floor flower shop as a cause.

Gunther Marocke, 71, of Kleve said he saw flames burst through the ceiling about 4 p.m. and pointed them out to workers.

“All of a sudden, people started calling, ‘Fire! Everybody out!’ Then a dark cloud shot along the ceiling,” he said.

Panic broke out as the fire spread through the arrivals area, and officials evacuated the terminal and closed the airport. It was not expected to reopen until midday today.