On Saturday afternoon, the sounds of explosions and gunshots shattered the idyll of Bad Vöslau (Lower Austria), a town of 12,400 inhabitants located halfway between Vienna and Wiener Neustadt. As reported, the fire department then recovered three bodies from a burning apartment. What happened has been the subject of speculation ever since.

Apartment owner was seriously ill
Since Sunday, at least the identity of the three dead men has been clear. One is the owner of the apartment, a 77-year-old antiques dealer. Seriously ill, the Austrian was dependent on an oxygen device - this is believed to be responsible for the explosion noises. The two other men, 63 and 67 years old, worked in the same trade as the owner.

The police are now trying to find out from the dead men's acquaintances why the trio were in the apartment on Saturday and whether there was any reason for an argument between the men. All three bodies had gunshot wounds to the head and upper body. A revolver and a shotgun were seized.

Post-mortem examinations should shed light on who shot whom and then set fire to them - petrol is said to have been spilled and set alight in three places. At least until then, the motive for the horror of Bad Vöslau remains a mystery.

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