Several more charges were laid last week against four men accused of starting a fire that killed a man and caused $2 million in damages at the Ecusta Fibres flax straw plant near Winkler, Man.
Heinrich Goetzen, 28, Johan Peters, 21, Jacob Peters, 20, and Tobias Klassen, 20, were previously charged with manslaughter in the death last month of plant manager Irvin Harder, 63. Harder died after his half-ton truck was sucked up by the tornado-like fire that started shortly before midnight on April 18.
Eighteen more arson-related charges were brought against the accused late last week. Some of the charges stemmed from other flax straw fires set last year at Ecusta Fibres and at Schweitzer-Mauduit Canada locations in southern Manitoba.
The suspects appeared before a magistrate in Winnipeg on April 28 and were remanded in custody until their May 2 court appearance in Morden, Man., where they will face the manslaughter charges.
