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Center for asylum seekers set on fire in Estonia

Xinhua, September 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

A center for asylum seekers in Vao, Estonia which was set on fire in the early hours of Thursday is being treated as suspected arson related to Estonia's acceptance and resettlement of refugees in the Baltic country.

Estonian police launched a criminal investigation, according to Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR). No casualties were reported.

Rescue services were alerted to the fire at 4:31 a.m. local time (0231 GMT). The damage affected 10 square meters of the two-storey building's exterior, the ERR report said.

Head of Rakvere Police Department, Indrek Link, said that although no one was hurt, it was a very serious incident. "There were over 50 people in the building when the fire was ignited, 13 of whom were children," he said. "The consequences could have been much more severe."

Estonian member of parliament Urmas Paet, who once was the nation's foreign minister, told local press: "It's a grave offense to set the home of 70 on fire in the middle of the night. We're dealing with a potential mass murder here. Police and prosecution must do all in their power to find the arsonist(s)," he added.

"For over 20 years we have tried to build a humane society in Estonia and an image of a welcoming country. Actions like last night put all that in danger," Paet said.

This is the first incident of its kind since the government decided to receive and resettle the 150 of up to 200 foreign refugees according to EU quotas. Endit