Several people were injured in a fire in Bonn-Tannenbusch early on Sunday morning. The fire broke out in the basement of a residential and commercial building on Oppelner Straße. The fire brigade was alerted to the fire at around 1.45 a.m. When they arrived, dense black smoke was already pouring out of several cellar shafts. There was also heavy smoke in some of the surrounding streets. Some residents had been alerted to the fire by the smoke alarms and had already taken refuge.

The fire brigade evacuated numerous people from the building. Some were injured and had to be rescued with a turntable ladder. Residents were taken care of by the emergency services. The smoke from the fire had already penetrated the building through ventilation shafts. Firefighters tackled the fire both from inside and outside, and at the same time started ventilating the building. The police cordoned off a wide area around the building, and Oppelner Straße was also temporarily closed. The cause of the fire is still unclear; the police have started an investigation.

The Coronavirus incidence rate in NRW continues to hover at around 1400: According to the RKI data on Sunday, the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in NRW again rose slightly within seven days to 1405.2 - after 1401.6 on Saturday and 1395.5 on Friday. NRW thus continues to record infection figures well below the national average, as it has for a long time. Nationwide, the seven-day incidence on Sunday reached 1723.8 (Saturday 1758.4).

In NRW, the district of Minden-Lübbecke (2629) continues to be particularly affected, followed by Münster (2570.1) and the district of Coesfeld (2446.6). The lowest incidence was in the district of Mettmann with a value of 641.1. According to Sunday's figures, 22,709 new Coronavirus infections were registered in NRW within one day and the authorities registered seven deaths related to Covid-19. According to the state government, the so-called hospitalisation incidence dropped slightly to 7.11 (Saturday 7.17).

It’s one of the hottest topics in the city: How can Bonn get a grip on its traffic problems and make transport more climate-friendly without risking economic damage? The council coalition of Greens, SPD, Left and Volt has already taken the first steps: the City Ring ends in front of the main railway station, there will be new environmental lanes (Umweltspuren) on Oxfordstraße and Hermann-Wandersleb-Ring this year, parking zones will be extended and parking fees increased. At the same time, Bonn will soon offer reduced-price public transport tickets for people on low incomes and schoolchildren.

Under the motto “Verkehrswende in Bonn: Wie kann sie funktionieren?“ (Transportation turnaround in Bonn: How can it work?“) the Generalanzeiger is inviting citizens to a panel discussion at Haus der Bildung, Mülheimer Platz 1, which will be the last event in its major climate series. The event is kindly supported by the Volkshochschule.

On Friday, 8 April, at 5 p.m., the following individuals will answer questions from the audience and the editorial team:

■ Lord Mayor Katja Dörner (Greens)

■ Giovanna Leier, Fridays for Future Bonn

■ Guido Déus, Chairman of the CDU Council Group

■ Hubertus Hille, Managing Director of the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg Chamber of Industry and Commerce

■ Robert Follmer, Head of Mobility and Regional Research at the Bonn-based opinion research institute Infas.

A maximum of 60 people can participate, and 3G rules apply for admission – which means visitors must be vaccinated, newly recovered or tested. Admission is free, but space is limited so registration is necessary. You can also watch the discussion online. To register, call 01379/886915* (24-hour registration service, *€0.50/call from all German networks). Please give your name and address. You can also find our conditions of participation and data protection at www.ga.de/teilnahme. Telephone lines will be open until midnight on Thursday, 7 April. (Translation: Jean Lennox)