An Afghan asylum seeker has confessed to having started the fire that caused significant damage to Fit Hostel in Reykjanesbær on Monday and sent one tenant to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
The man had been taken into police custody following the fire’s outbreak on Monday and was officially charged on Tuesday to two weeks jail time, mbl.is reports. Police have also requested that the man be sent for psychiatric evaluation.
As was reported on Monday, a fire had broken out at Fit Hostel, causing damage to the top floors of the building. Fit Hostel is the designated holding area for all asylum seekers in Iceland while they wait for their applications to be processed, sometimes for years.