Bus Catches Fire on A103 in Schöneberg – Driver Escapes Unharmed
Berlin, January 22 – A public bus caught fire on the A103 motorway in the Schöneberg district yesterday evening. The driver was able to get to safety and remained unharmed; there were no passengers on the bus, according to the fire department.
The fire broke out in the rear section of the articulated bus. The cause of the blaze remains unclear, but the fire department quickly extinguished the flames.
Traffic Disruptions on A103 and A100
For the duration of the operation, the A103 in the direction of Sachsendamm had to be completely closed. The connection to the A100 was also affected, leading to considerable traffic disruptions in the area.
Other Incidents in Berlin
This incident occurred amidst a series of other emergency events reported in Berlin. Earlier yesterday, a man fell through ice on Lake Wannsee while ice sailing and suffered severe hypothermia; he was rescued by firefighters and taken to a hospital. Passersby alerted the fire department, who deployed a helicopter to rescue the man approximately 200 meters from the shore near Strandbad Wannsee. The fire department has reiterated warnings against venturing onto frozen bodies of water, especially after recent thaws.
In other news, a 55-year-old pedestrian was struck and injured by a car in Lankwitz yesterday afternoon. The accident occurred when a 37-year-old driver turned left into Wiesenweg, hitting the pedestrian who was crossing the street. The woman sustained head injuries and was hospitalized.
Also yesterday evening, three men assaulted a supermarket employee in Neukölln, stealing the day’s earnings. The 37-year-old employee was about to close the store on Sonnenallee when he was threatened with an unknown object and forced to reopen the store. He was then beaten multiple times in the head before the trio fled with the money. The employee was hospitalized with head injuries, and police are investigating the robbery.
Furthermore, plainclothes police officers arrested a suspected drug dealer in Moabit yesterday afternoon. The 30-year-old driver was stopped at the intersection of Europaplatz and Ella-Trebe-Straße. When officers approached the vehicle, the man accelerated, driving towards an officer who narrowly avoided a collision. The driver was eventually stopped and arrested, resisting the officers. Police found cash and suspected cocaine in his possession, and his vehicle was seized. A blood test was conducted due to suspicion of drug influence, and he was later released pending further investigation.
Police are also searching for a suspect in a brutal assault that occurred at Nollendorfplatz in Schöneberg, involving punches and kicks. Public appeals have been made to identify the perpetrator.
In Kreuzberg, a civilian police vehicle was involved in a traffic accident yesterday afternoon. The police car reportedly disregarded the right-of-way of an incoming Fiat at Ritterstraße and Prinzenstraße, leading to a collision. No one was injured, but property damage occurred.
A wanted Polish national, aged 30, was arrested on Tuesday morning in Frankfurt (Oder) during a train control. He was found to have an outstanding arrest warrant for driving without a license and was sentenced to a fine of 7,700 euros or 55 days in prison. As he could not pay the fine, he was transferred to a correctional facility.
An update on a previous A111 accident revealed that the 45-year-old driver involved was intoxicated and driving without a license. He fled the scene but was apprehended at a bus stop. A breathalyzer test showed a blood alcohol level of 1.9 per mille. He had collided with another vehicle, injuring both himself and the 61-year-old driver.
On the A10 towards Hamburg, an accident occurred yesterday morning near the Oranienburg interchange, involving two cars that overturned and two others that drove over debris. Two drivers were hospitalized with injuries. Recovery efforts are ongoing, and two lanes remain closed.
A suspicious bag on a sidewalk at Treptower Park triggered a police operation early Wednesday morning. Explosive experts used a special robot to examine the item, which was found to be harmless. The road was closed for an hour and a half during the investigation.
Finally, the Berlin Fire Department responded to a garden shed fire in Reinickendorf on Tuesday afternoon. The roof of a garden shed on Straße 366 in Heiligensee was burning over an area of about 25 square meters. The owner safely evacuated and was unharmed. Due to asbestos-containing materials in the shed’s cladding, a special hygiene protocol was implemented for the 26 firefighters on site. Police are investigating the cause of the fire.
Source: https://www.morgenpost.de/berlin/article410967866/polizei-feuerwehr-news-berlin-21-januar-feuer-reinickendorf.html
