Thu, 08 Oct, 2015 12:10:02 AM PM condemns attack on refugee centre FTimes – STT Report, Oct 8 Apartment building in which the Red Cross operates the reception center came under arson attack on Wednesday. Photo – Str / Lehtikuva. An arson attack was attempted on an apartment building housing an asylum reception centre overseen by the Finnish Red Cross in Lammi, Hämeenlinna on Tuesday night.
There was an attempt to start fire from outside in one of the apartments in the building, said the police.
No one was injured during the incident.
Pentti Savolainen, the executive director of the Finnish Red Cross Häme chapter told the news agency STT that the entire building is used by the organisation.
The building with around 20 rented apartments acts as a home to asylum seekers and also families with children.
Savolainen, however, could not say how many people were present in the building on Tuesday night.
“Fortunately, nothing happened to anyone. The damage to the building is very minimal,” Savolainen said.
Savolainen admitted that at this stage he could not assess what had happened.
“The police will investigate the incident. Of course it is a bad thing when such a thing happens,” Savolainen said.
According to the Hämeen Sanomat, the attempted arson was to be executed using petrol bomb. The police information did not confirm the report to STT, but Savolainen said he too was told that it was a petrol bomb.
Photo – Str / Lehtikuva. Finnish Red Cross Head of Communications Outi Pärnänen said only after the police have conducted investigations it will be clear whether the incident has affected security and special arrangements at Lammi.
The building has been used by the Finnish Red Cross for six years.
“It is not an ordinary but a rented apartment. There are no personnel at the reception centre at night and if necessary visits are made during the day,” Pärnänen said.
The incident is being investigated as attempted arson. The rescue department dispatched nine units at the scene.
The Häme police have appealed for witnesses.
Prime Minister Juha Sipilä in a Tweeter feed strongly condemned the attempted arson on the reception centre.
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