Finnish police will seek the remand of a 71-year-old man on suspicion of five murders, two attempted murders and aggravated arson after a fatal apartment block fire in Vantaa.

The blaze tore through a residential building in the Pähkinärinne district in the early hours of Tuesday 3 March. Five members of a Somali family died.

Eastern Uusimaa Police said the suspect will be presented to the district court on Friday morning.

Detective Chief Inspector Sanna Rentola, who leads the investigation, said the case remains at an early stage. “At this stage the matter is being investigated as several murders, several attempted murders and aggravated arson,” she said in a statement. “The number of titles and any other offences that arise will be reviewed and reassessed regularly as the investigation progresses.”

Police have questioned the suspect once and will continue interviews. “The suspect has now been questioned once and his questioning will continue. The suspect will be presented for remand most likely on Friday,” Rentola said.

Investigators have carried out initial interviews and scene examinations. Police said information gathered so far supports the view that the act was intentional. Rentola said further details about forensic results and laboratory analyses will be released only when the investigation has advanced.

The fire broke out in the suspect’s own flat and spread through the building. Authorities said the blaze was intense and produced large amounts of smoke.

The victims were parents in their thirties or forties and their three children aged three, six and eight. The family attempted to escape but died in the stairwell after inhaling toxic gases. A baby from the same family survived and was found next to the victims.








Candles and flowers are seen at a makeshift memorial for the victims of a major fire in Vantaa, Finland, on March 3, 2026. Photo: Mikko Stig / Str / Lehtikuva


The motive remains under investigation. Police said the act was not racially motivated. The victims were of Somali background and the suspect is Finnish.

The daily newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reported that the suspect has a prior conviction for attempted manslaughter dating back to the early 2000s. The victim in that case was his then wife. The man appealed the district court ruling to the Helsinki Court of Appeal, arguing that he had committed aggravated assault rather than attempted manslaughter. He admitted stabbing his wife but claimed the act did not place her life in probable danger. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction for attempted manslaughter, according to the newspaper.

Ilta-Sanomat also reported that the man was convicted in 2014 of assaulting the same woman after their divorce. In that incident he struck her in the face during an evening visit at his home.

Police have not confirmed details of the suspect’s background beyond the current investigation.

Eastern Uusimaa Police said the pre-trial investigation is expected to last for months and will involve cooperation with several authorities. “The pre-trial investigation is only at a very early stage and more detailed information cannot be released without jeopardising the investigation,” Rentola said.

HT