Apartment building fire kills 8 in southwestern Germany

A fire broke out early Sunday morning at an apartment building in southwestern Germany, killing at least eight people, including seven children. The fire started from the ground floor and quickly captured floors above at the former leather factory in Backnang, a town near Stuttgart, police said. Hundreds of firefighters were deployed to put out the blaze. Bodies of victims were found on ground floor of the building. Four people were rescued from a balcony by firefighters and three of them were hospitalized. A total of 13 people were registered as living in the building. Cause of the fire remained unclear and there is no evidence for the possibility of arson or xenophobic attack, police said. According to witnesses, an oven may be the cause. Police source confirmed the victims were of Turkish origin, but left their identities remaining unknown