Fire alarm at railway stations in Rotkreuz and Cham

A 39-year-old man started fires in the railway stations in Rotkreuz and Cham. The police were able to arrest him a short time later.

The Zug police arrested a suspected arsonist on early Wednesday morning. The 39-year-old Swiss national is suspected of setting fires at the railway stations in Rotkreuz and Cham.

According to a statement from the Zug law enforcement authorities, the Police Control Centre received an emergency call at 1 am on Wednesday morning, stating that several rubbish bins and a bicycle were on fire at Rotkreuz railway station. The passer-by immediately began to contain the fire with a bucket of water, and the Risch-Rotkreuz fire brigade was then able to extinguish the fire completely.

The fire brigade extinguishes the burning container at Cham railway station    Photo: Zug Police

After starting the fire, the perpetrator boarded the S-Bahn and travelled to Cham. There, he set fire to another rubbish bin and a container, before leaving Cham railway station in an unknown direction. The alerted fire brigade was able to quickly extinguish the flames.

The police immediately launched a manhunt for the perpetrators with all available resources, which led to the arrest of a 39-year-old Swiss man shortly before 4.30 am. He is suspected of having deliberately set the fires. Nobody was injured in the fires, but the damage to property amounts to several thousand Swiss francs.

The possible motive for the offence and the exact course of events are now being investigated. The suspect is now in custody.

Source. Zug Police