An arson attack on a private poker game last weekend left two men in induced comas after suffering severe burns.
The game in Klagenfurt, Austria, was attacked at 6:40pm local time when eight people were in the common room at the premises of a local company.
The 54-year-old suspect, from Carinthia in southern Austria, poured a canister of gasoline into the room before setting it alight. The eight men managed to escape the scene, the suspect was arrested, and the victims were taken to the local hospital.
Four men suffered minor injuries, and two, a 52-year-old and a 55-year-old, both from Klagenfurt, suffered severe burns. The 55-year-old was airlifted to University Hospital in Graz, about 80 miles away, and both were placed into medically induced comas.
the suspect was extremely intoxicated
According to local reports, the suspect had been involved in a dispute with the other men, who all met regularly for poker games, over his gambling debts. Reports also stated the suspect was extremely intoxicated at the time of the event, preventing initial questioning from police.
The local fire service reported the incident on social media, saying: “Today a fire broke out in an office next to a hall in Klagenfurt after a man was handling a gas can. Several people were injured.”
“Thanks to the quick and professional deployment of the police, emergency services and fire brigades, the situation was quickly brought under control. All injured persons were taken to Klagenfurt Clinic by the ambulance service.”
