Officials say suspect appears to have planned ‘fireball’ attack that severely injured German police

BERLIN (AP) — Officials say an explosion at a residential building in Germany that left nine first responders seriously injured appears to have been a planned attack. Police and firefighters went to the building in the town of Ratingen on Thursday in response to a call about a helpless person inside a top-floor apartment. The first responders were injured when a man opened the apartment door and threw out a burning object that exploded. Officials said Friday that two police officers and three firefighters who suffered burns were still battling for their lives. A 57-year-old German man is being held on nine counts of attempted murder. Police found the body of a dead woman inside the apartment.