Three children are under investigation for causing the devastating fire that destroyed parts of a former operetta in the eastern German city of Dresden, Saxony, DPA reported, citing local authorities, BTA reports.
The girls, aged 11 and 12, are suspected of setting fire to paper in the abandoned building where the fire broke out on Friday. The incident forced the evacuation of two neighboring residential buildings as a precaution.
The children came to the attention of investigators after questioning witnesses and analyzing video footage. Police are currently investigating whether they were responsible for the fire.
The fire was extinguished in the early hours of Saturday. The interior of the building was completely destroyed, and the back part, where the audience seats once stood, had collapsed.
The initial damage estimate is in the six- to seven-figure range. The building, located in eastern Dresden, was abandoned several years ago. It previously housed one of the oldest operetta theaters in Germany, with a history dating back more than 240 years.