Tragic fire drama in Vienna: One dead and many injured!

Tragic fire drama in Vienna: One dead and many injured!

On Stefanietag, December 29, 2025, there was a tragic fire in the apartment block in the Alterlaa district of Vienna-Liesing. The fire broke out in an apartment on the ninth floor and quickly spread to the balconies above. Visible flames triggered a flood of emergency calls to the fire department. Around 80 emergency services and 18 vehicles arrived to deal with the situation. During the operation, several balconies over three floors were seen in flames and numerous residents had to be taken out of the building. A total of 53 affected people were cared for by professional rescue services, including a 41-year-old woman who was taken to hospital with symptoms of smoke poisoning.

What are the backgrounds? The emergency services discovered the body of a pensioner on the balcony of the fire apartment. Initial findings point to smoke poisoning as the cause of death. Fragmentary information suggests she is a 76-year-old single woman. Her apartment was very cluttered and was completely destroyed by the fire. Unfortunately, the identity of the deceased is still unclear due to the severe burns.

Great human rescue

What is particularly worrying is the development that 53 residents of the affected building were brought to safety. The evacuees found temporary shelter in a bus provided or in a nearby tennis hall. All 53 people were successfully rescued from the danger zone oe24.at reported.

A rabbit was also rescued from an apartment, a small bright spot in the midst of all the tragedy. The exact cause of the fire is currently unclear as investigators were unable to find any reliable evidence due to the massive destruction.

Smoke poisoning as the most dangerous threat

The incident highlights the serious danger posed by smoke poisoning during fires. In house fires, toxic gases are often a much greater threat than the fire itself. Particularly dangerous are cyanide compounds from burning plastic and carbon monoxide, which are both invisible, odorless and tasteless. Children are particularly affected because they have lower blood reserves and can get into critical conditions more quickly.

The treatment of smoke gas poisoning usually involves artificial ventilation with highly concentrated oxygen to displace the toxic carbon monoxide from the red blood cells. In severe cases, a stay in a pressure chamber may be necessary WDR reported.

The fire in the Alterlaa apartment block shows how important it is to take safety precautions and always be careful when dealing with fire. The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing as the community mourns those affected while focusing on clarifying the circumstances.