Paris fire killed at least eight people and injured around 30 others UPDATED
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Flames ripped through an apartment block in Paris, killing at least eight people and injuring 36 early on Tuesday, authorities said.
Prosecutors said they suspected the fire was a criminal act and a woman had been detained during investigations.
Firefighters scaled ladders to rescue residents from balconies on the eight-storey block on Rue Erlanger, near the Parc des Princes soccer stadium and the Roland Garros French Open tennis venue.
Earlier a fire service spokesman said at the scene, said that “the toll could still increase because the fire is still in progress on the 7th and 8th floors” of the eight-storey block,.
Some of those affected scrambled on to nearby roofs to escape the smoke and flames, and needed to be rescued by fire crews.
With landmarks including the Trocadero overlooking the Eiffel Tower, Paris Saint-Germain’s home stadium the Parc des Princes, the picturesque Bois de Bologne and an array of upmarket shops and restaurants, the area is popular with tourists.
Fire service spokesman Clement Cognon told AFP: “We had to carry out many rescues, including some people who had taken refuge on the roofs.”
At approximately 3.30am (0230 GMT), fire crews had finished evacuating the block on Erlanger Street but were still fighting the flames. Several surrounding buildings were also evacuated.
Around 200 firefighters were still at the scene in the early hours of Tuesday, battling the blaze and treating the injured.
