THE HAGUE, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Three suspects have been arrested in connection with a major fire that devastated part of the city center in Arnhem, in the east of The Netherlands, last Thursday, police announced on Sunday.
The suspects include two men, aged 30 and 57, from Arnhem, and a 41-year-old man whose place of residence remains unknown. They are suspected of arson. Police identified the suspects through camera footage and tips.
The fire broke out around 3:45 a.m. local time on Thursday at a shop on Jansstraat, a shopping street, before spreading to other stores housed in historic buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries.
The affected structures contained about 10 shops on the ground floor and 30 residential units above.
Arnhem's mayor Ahmed Marcouch called it "a heartbreaking thought" on social media platform X that the fire was probably started deliberately, saying, "Many Arnhem residents lost their homes and possessions, and our city center will always bear a scar."
