Five teenagers die in Polish escape room blaze

KOSZALIN, Poland (UPI) — Five teenage girls died when a fire broke out near an escape room in which they were playing Friday in northern Poland, local authorities said. The blaze broke out around 5 p.m. in the city of Koszalin and also injured a 25-year-old man with burns. Police spokeswoman Monika Kosiec said the fire was in a room near where the girls were celebrating a birthday party. Officials believe the girls, all around the age of 15, died from carbon monoxide poisoning. “Five joyful girls starting out in life have had life torn away from them,” Polish President Andrzej Duda posted on Twitter. “May God protect their parents and loved ones.” Escape rooms are entertainment venues in which participants are given a set amount of time to solve a series of puzzles in order to get out of a locked space. Interior Minister Joachim Brudziński said he ordered fire officials to conduct inspections on similar venues across the country. Koszalin officials ordered a day of mourning for the teens. Reporting by Danielle Haynes