France: Arson attack in Nice leaves several dead | World news

Seven people, including three children and a teenager, were killed in a suspected arson attack in the southeastern French city of Nice.

The fire, which police believe was arson, broke out at around 3 a.m. local time on Thursday morning in an attic apartment in a block of flats in the western suburb of Moulins.

Nice prosecutor Damien Martinelli later said investigators were looking into a “criminal” motive for the fire.

“Based on the initial evidence, I have launched an investigation into arson resulting in death,” he told reporters at the scene.

Nice’s first deputy mayor, Anthony Borre, said on X: “These actions are serious, they are barbaric.” He added that he hoped for “a decisive reaction” from the authorities once the investigation was completed.

“The footage clearly shows masked people spilling gasoline in the stairwell,” said Mayor Christian Estrosi, expressing his condolences “to a family that became innocent victims of a war in which they were not involved.” He was referring to a local turf war between drug gangs.

Macron is “shocked by the number of victims,” ​​says Attal, authorities are searching for suspects
President Emmanuel Macron, who is currently attending a summit of European leaders in Britain, said: “We are all shocked by the number of victims.”

“What happened here is absolutely terrible, horrific,” said French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who travelled to the scene with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. Attal added that they are looking for three people in connection with the deadly fire.

According to the Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes region, Hugues Moutouh, the three deceased children, aged 5, 7 and 10, as well as the three adults, all came from the same family of Comorian origin.

The seventh victim, a 17-year-old man, died when he jumped out of a window while trying to escape the fire, authorities said.

A 47-year-old man who also jumped from the apartment was reportedly seriously injured, although his neighbors held him with mattresses to break his fall.

According to reports, two family members survived
According to members of the local Comorian community, two family members survived the attack.

“They are both desperate,” said Nadjin Maecha, president of the local Comoros association.

Local prosecutor Damien Martinelli said firefighters, called at 2:28 a.m., arrived “ten minutes late.” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on social media that the firefighters’ quick arrival “probably prevented further deaths.”

A fifth-floor resident who reportedly managed to evacuate the building with her four daughters, aged between four and 10, told AFP news agency she heard a noise and saw people running outside.

“There was a fire in the stairwell and smoke was coming in from under the door. I woke up the children and we called the fire department. There they told us to put wet towels under the door and go out onto the balcony. Finally they rescued us with a ladder. First the girls, then us,” said the resident.