By Promise Rotimi
An apartment building fire early Thursday claimed the lives of seven people in the southern French city of Nice.
Authorities are investigating the blaze as a possible arson.
The victims include three children, aged 5, 7, and 10, and a 17-year-old who attempted to escape by jumping from a window.
The apartment was occupied by a family believed to have Comoran origins, according to regional prefect Hugues Moutouh, referencing the southern African Island nation.
The fire broke out when ten people were inside the apartment.
Rescuers were alerted at around 2:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) to the blaze on the seventh floor of the building in Les Moulins, a low-income neighborhood known for being a drug-dealing hub, in the west of the city.
Despite substantial resources being deployed, “unfortunately, seven people died during this fire,” firefighters reported.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated on social media that the quick arrival of firefighters “probably prevented more deaths.”
Nice prosecutor Damien Martinelli said investigators are looking into a “criminal” cause for the fire.
“In light of the initial evidence, I have opened an investigation into acts of arson leading to death,” he told reporters at the scene.
Authorities believe the blaze likely started on the building’s second floor and spread to higher levels. Rescuers said three people were taken to the hospital, one with life-threatening injuries.
Firefighters were confronted by a “raging apartment fire” on the seventh floor. They carried out three aerial ladder rescues and evacuated dozens of residents. In total, 25 fire engines and 72 firefighters tackled the blaze.
Twenty people were evacuated to a temporary shelter. Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi stated that a crisis unit has been set up to assist anyone affected by the fire.
