Man charged in Poland ‘escape room’ deaths

Faulty heating system blamed in fire that killed five teen girls

WARSAW, Poland—Prosecutors in northern Poland detained and brought charges Sunday against the man who designed an escape room entertainment site where five teenage girls were killed in a fire.

The man, identified only as Milosz S., was charged with intentionally creating a fire danger and unintentionally causing the deaths of the girls, said prosecutor Ryszard Gasiorowski, adding that the location’s heating system was faulty and there was no emergency evacuation route.

A court decision is expected Monday on prosecutors’ request he be held for three months while the case proceeds.

Firefighters in the city of Koszalin found the victims’ bodies Friday after they extinguished a fire next to the locked room. Prosecutors say a leaky gas container inside a heater is the most likely cause of the blaze.

Autopsies showed that the girls, who were friends from school, died of carbon monoxide inhalation. A young man employed there was hospitalized with burns. He was to be questioned.

Attorneys for the man charged said he was “deeply distraught” by the deaths and has expressed deep condolences to the families before the prosecutors. They said the 28-year-old denies the charges but because of his distress was not able to answer prosecutors’ questions. If convicted, he could face up to eight years in prison.

Officials have shut down 13 escape room entertainment sites for safety flaws and the prime minister asked people Sunday to report such lapses to firefighters and police.