PARIS, Dec 16 – Ten people, including five children between the ages of 3 and 15, died in a fire on Friday morning at an apartment building in Vaulx-en-Velin, near the French city of Lyon, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.
Darmanin said the cause of the fire is unknown at this stage.
“There are several scenarios and an investigation will be launched,” he said, adding that he was in contact with President Emmanuel Macron about the incident.
About 180 firefighters responded to the scene. The fire has now been extinguished, Darmanin said, adding that he was heading to the scene.
The fire broke out in the early hours of Friday morning in a seven-story residential building. A security cordon was set up at the site, the Rhône regional office said.