Child dead after fire at German refugee shelter

A 9-year-old boy from Ukraine died in a fire in a refugee shelter in the town of Apolda in the central German state of Thuringia, according to the state's interior minister.

"A child died today in Apolda who was seeking shelter from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's bombs with his family. On days like this, one could despair," Georg Maier wrote on Twitter on Sunday evening.

After the fire early Sunday morning, police had spoken of one fatality. The boy had been missing since the fire, they said. However, only a forensic medical examination could say with final certainty whether the dead person was indeed the Ukrainian boy, police said.

"I will do my utmost to ensure that the cause of the fire is clarified. There must be complete clarity here," Maier wrote further on Twitter.

On Sunday, the cause of the fire was still unclear. The investigation was continuing, the police said. Several people were also injured in the fire, according to police.