Major fire in Mannsdorf an der Donau: Police searching for witnesses and occupants of a BMW

According to police, the property damage is estimated to be in the single-digit million range. As of now, no one was injured. However, the warehouse was so severely damaged by the fire that it is at risk of collapse and can no longer be entered. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.

Investigators seek tips regarding a BMW

As police have now announced, the call for witnesses is directed, among other things, at the occupants of a specific BMW that was reportedly observed in temporal and spatial connection with the fire. The officers are asking anyone who can provide information about the vehicle or its occupants to contact the local police station. Tips are also being accepted via the standard emergency numbers.

The investigators were initially restrained in commenting on the exact course of the investigation. So far, it is only clear that the fire broke out during the night hours and subsequently spread over large parts of the hall. The criminal police have begun work at the scene, with specialists securing evidence.

Course of the fire and firefighting operation

The firefighting operation lasted several hours. Since the hall was already fully engulfed in flames when the first crews arrived, the extinguishing efforts initially focused on protecting neighboring properties. Only gradually was the fire brought under control. According to the fire department, the overhaul and extinguishing work continued for days.

Mannsdorf an der Donau is located in the Gänserndorf district in Lower Austria and has only a few hundred residents. The major fire caused a stir in the municipality and the surrounding area. Residents were temporarily asked to keep windows and doors closed because smoke and soot were polluting the air.

No evidence of outside involvement – appeal remains open

Police emphasize that the call for witnesses expressly does not presuppose any suspicion of a criminal offense. Rather, the aim is to gather possible observations from the night of the fire that could be relevant to determining the cause. Footage from dashcams or surveillance cameras is also of interest to the investigators.

According to current findings, there is no evidence of outside involvement. However, at this point the investigators are not ruling anything out and are asking the public to submit relevant tips – also anonymously – to the nearest police station.

Mannsdorf as the focal point of the operation

Should the tips yield a concrete lead, police would inform the public about further steps, it was stated. Until then, the appeal to report suspicious observations from the night of the fire remains in place. The criminal police also announced that they would await the results of the fire investigation before commenting on the further course of the inquiry.

The municipality of Mannsdorf and the Gänserndorf district had classified the fire as a major incident shortly after the event. The arrival of additional fire companies was coordinated via the B3 federal highway, as the route through the town was heavily congested by emergency vehicles.