Two men held after boys die in suspected arson

9 August 2004

AMSTERDAM — Police arrested two men on Sunday night on suspicion of involvement in a fire at an Eindhoven house that killed two children.

The boys, aged eight and 14, were killed when fire engulfed their home on the Jan Hollanderstraat at about 1.45am on Sunday.

Their parents tried in vain to rescue the children from the home, but were eventually forced to jump from the burning building. They were treated in hospital for their injuries, Dutch public news service NOS reported.

The father, 36, suffered second-degree burns to his back and hands and the 34-year-old mother also suffered burn injuries and a broken pelvis. The children were probably asleep when the fire broke out.

The family home is in a small working class suburb in Eindhoven. Shocked neighbours were also evacuated from their homes after the fire broke out.

Police suspect arson was the cause of the fire and the two arrested men are 23 and 31 years old, both of whom come from Eindhoven, newspaper Algemeen Dagblad reported. Twenty-five police officers have been assigned to the case.

Subject: Dutch news