Lüneburg, Germany, 8 July 2024 (dpa/MIA) - One person died and a police officer was seriously injured in a severe fire at a refugee centre in the northern German town of Buchholz in der Nordheide near Hamburg on Monday.

The policeman and an employee at the refugee centre suffered severe burns, according to a spokesman for the fire brigade. A policewoman was also injured.

A body was found in the building but the identity of the deceased is not yet clear.

The refugee accommodation is made up of a total of 48 containers converted for temporary housing of asylum seekers in Germany.

A total of 20 people were injured in the fire. The fire brigade spokesman was initially unable to say how serious the other injuries were.

There were "indications of a fire hazard" in the morning, according to a police statement. Two officers and two employees of the accommodation centre then noticed the smell of petrol in the building.

"We received a tip-off that someone was setting fire to the building," said a police spokesman.

Suddenly there was an explosion. A fire broke out on the first floor of the two-storey facility, the fire brigade said.

Around 150 firefighters rushed to the scene and searched all of the containers: "Our priority was to rescue people, we didn't know how many people were still in the building at that time," said the fire brigade spokesman.

The injured - including residents of the temporary housing units - were treated on site and some were taken to nearby hospitals. The seriously injured police officer was also taken to hospital.

The fire was brought under control relatively quickly, said the spokesman. The extinguishing and rescue work was completed in the afternoon.

In order not to hinder the rescue work, the police asked people to avoid the area. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

"As soon as the heat allows, fire investigators will examine the scene," said the police spokesman.

Residents of the centre have been put up in another nearby refugee accommodation for the time being.

Photo: dpa