Fears of Arson Mount as Investigators Delve Deeper Into German House Fire

BERLIN, Feb. 6, 2008 — -- Three days after a fast-moving fire engulfed a multistory building in southwest Germany -- killing nine people, including five children -- investigators have begun to show area residents a sketch-portrait of a man whom two young witnesses claimed set the blaze.

German investigators in Ludwigshafen said they've questioned two girls, ages 8 and 9, who said they saw a German-speaking man setting fire to something with a lighter and then throwing it at a baby's carriage on the ground floor of the building. The girls, who first made the claim to German media Monday, helped police develop a sketch of the man the girls described.

Police say they are interviewing neighbors and former residents of the building hoping someone may recognize the man. They cautioned, however, that it is still too soon to label the incident a premeditated hate crime.

"We are investigating all possibilities in the case," police spokesman Volker Klein told ABC News. "Everything will be closely examined, and it's now still a bit too soon to make any claims."

Investigators with sniffer dogs spent the day examining the remains of the building in search for clues as to the cause of the blaze. Cranes removed debris and helped hold up portions of the building's roof to ensure that the whole structure didn't collapse. Police and fire officials said their investigation has been slowed because the century-old building is still too dangerous to inhabit.

Meanwhile, the 8-month-old boy who was thrown from the fourth-floor window during Sunday's fire has been reunited with his family, German police told ABC News. Doctors said the boy, Onur Calar, suffered no serious injuries after he was dropped 23 feet to safety by his uncle as the fire swept through the building. A police officer was able to safely catch the baby.

"I made eye contact with him [the police officer and knew that it would work," the uncle, Kamil Kaplan, told Germany's Bild newspaper. "The official took his jacket off and held it like a safety net. I kissed Onur again. Then I let him drop."