Two babies in critical condition after a man set fire to several homes in the German city of Essen

A 41-year-old man, identified by some sources as an immigrant of Syrian origin, set fire to two residential buildings in the German city of Essen on Saturday afternoon, injuring 31 people, including two babies who are in critical condition due to smoke inhalation.

Subsequently, he rammed several stores with a van and entered a grocery store, where he barricaded himself in a backyard with a machete, causing panic until he was subdued by neighbors who handed him over to the police.