Three teenagers have died in an apparent suicide after jumping from a 40-meter (131-feet) observation tower in southwest Germany, according to local media and officials.
As reported by BNO News, the incident was discovered at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 28, when a passerby found the teens' bodies under the Hohe Warte observation tower in Pforzheim, a city near Stuttgart, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the border with France.
No Evidence of Foul Play or Third-Party Negligence
The deceased teenagers were all girls. While two of them were 13 years of age, the third was 14 years old. Police confirmed on Friday that three teenagers were pronounced dead at the scene. And while a criminal investigation is still underway, there is currently no indication that anyone else was involved or third-party negligence, the spokesman said.
A statement from the city said the girls went to the same school, where flags were flying at half-mast on Friday. A social worker, counselors, chaplains and psychologists were available to provide assistance to students affected by the tragedy.
"Our deepest sympathy goes to the families, friends and others who are confronted with immeasurable pain," Pforzheim Mayor Peter Boch and District Administrator Bastian Rosenau said in a joint statement. "Not only as officials, but also as fathers, this loss of three young people affects us deeply, fills us with infinite sadness and leaves us speechless. Words cannot express the unimaginable suffering that the families and friends must be feeling now."
Not the First Suicide at the Observation Tower This Year
Other details about the deaths have not been released, but police said this was not the first suicide at the observation tower this year. As a result, The city administration has now temporarily cordoned off the tower with construction fences, and local politicians are already calling for the building to be completely closed, as reported by German news outlet BILD.
