Vaulx-en-Velin fire incident in an residential block in the city of Lyon France, has left about ten people dead, including children, AFP reports.
According to the report, the Vaulx-en-Velin fire incident which broke out on late Thursday night and burn till Friday, saw about ten people dead, including five children. Another 14 were injured, four seriously, in the fire, which started on the ground floor before spreading up the seven-storey building, rescue authorities told local media.
The Lyon and Rhone regional authority said the cause of the fire in the eastern suburb of Vaulx-en-Velin was not known at this stage.
The fire, which began about 3am, is now extinguished, but footage on social media showed a huge, dark cloud billowing above the building earlier in the day.
France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the cause of the fire was not known at this stage.
“There are several scenarios and a probe will be opened,” he said, adding he was in touch with President Emmanuel Macron over the incident.
A security cordon has been set up at the site, the authority of the Rhone area said.
Around 180 firefighters were called to the site.
The fire started from the ground floor?
“We were still able to evacuate people who live on the first floor, on the garden side, through the secondary entrance”, he continues, the main entrance being plagued by flames and smoke.
In total, residents were able to save around ten people. At the same time, “people who lived on the ground floor came out of the windows”. It is from here, according to the firefighters , that the fire would have started before spreading.
“We heard people shouting from the third, from the fourth, continues this resident of Vaulx-en-Velin. (…) They were on the balcony.”
About 180 firefighters on the bridge
Nearly 180 firefighters mobilized then took over to save the victims. They managed to bring the fire under control. Around 7 a.m., they were still carrying out reconnaissance operations.
A large security perimeter was set up by the police in the area of the burned building. The prefect of the Rhône, the regional prefect and the mayor of Vaulx-en-Velin are on site.