7 people killed in building fire in southern France

A fire broke out at an apartment building in the French city of Nice on early Thursday morning, killing at least seven members of the same family and injuring several others. Officials believe it may have been intentional.

The incident happened at around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday when firefighters were called for a fire on the top floor of an apartment building in Les Moulins, a district near Nice Côte d’Azur Airport.

“Despite the courageous intervention of the police and firefighters, 7 people died,” said lawmaker Éric Ciotti, whose district includes Nice. He said 4 other people were injured, including one person in critical condition.

Footage from the scene showed that the apartment was completely engulfed in flames, though damage at neighboring apartments appeared to be limited. At least 33 people were safely evacuated.

“The rapid action of the firefighters undoubtedly made it possible to avoid many additional victims,” Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said. “The police will shed light on the circumstances of this terrible tragedy.”

Investigators said the fire appeared to have started in the stairway, possibly on a lower floor, before spreading to the apartment, according to BFMTV. The city’s prosecutor said a criminal act was suspected.

“We are mobilizing all the means at our disposal to find out whether the cause is criminal, which is not unlikely,” Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi said in a radio interview.

All of those killed were members of the same family, including a mother and her three children aged 5, 7 and 10. “She went back into the fire to get her three little ones. She didn’t come back,” one official said.

The fire was extinguished by 7 a.m.

@cestrosi il y a le feu dans un des camembert au moulin pic.twitter.com/iQH06uuuAD

— Habitants Quartiers des Moulins (@HabitantsM) July 18, 2024