A fire at an apartment building near the French city of Lyon killed ten people last night. Five children were among the dead, the mayor’s office said. There were also four seriously injured. Ten people were slightly injured, including two firefighters.
The cause of the fire at the seven-story apartment building in the suburb of Vaulx-en-Velin is not yet known. 170 emergency services with 65 fire engines fought the flames. The fire started shortly after 3am.
As a spokesman for the fire department told BFMTV, the fire started on the ground floor of the apartment block in the middle of a settlement and spread to the third floor. It is a complicated operation and the number of casualties could increase. The smoke made it difficult for residents to evacuate. The fire has already been extinguished.