Paris fire: Ten dead and many injured at apartment block

Ten people including a baby have died in a fire at an eight-storey building in south-western Paris, fire service officials say.

More than 30 people – including six firefighters – were injured. One person is in a serious condition.

Fifty people were evacuated by ladders from the blaze in the upmarket 16th disfranchisement.

The Paris prosecutor says it may have been deliberately started. Police have detained a female suspect.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that the country “had woken up to tragedy”, and praised the fire services for their courage.

Rue Erlanger is a popular street close to the Parc des Princes soccer stadium.

How did people escape?

The fire spread across the seventh and eighth floors of the 1970s building on Erlanger street shortly after 01:00 (00:00 GMT), forcing some residents to scramble on to nearby rooftops to escape the flames and smoke.

An eyewitness at the scene told France Télévision:

“The fire alarm went off at 00:30am a little after midnight, and smoke was everywhere already. I live on the 8th floor, the top floor, so I tried to pass from balcony to balcony to get away, And then, we huddled up in a corner, other people climbed up to where I was to escape the flames.”

About 250 firefighters were deployed to the scene not far from the Bois de Boulogne park, helping to rescue those trapped on the roofs. Pictures showed flames coming from the top floor windows and firefighters in breathing apparatus scaling ladders to reach residents.

“When we arrived, we were faced with an apocalyptic situation. Lots of people were calling for help from the windows”, the spokesman said.

Six firefighters are among the injured, reports French broadcaster BFMTV.

BBC