PARIS—Flames tore through an apartment block in Paris, killing at least ten people in the early hours of Feb. 5, after what prosecutors said looked like an arson attack.
Police said they arrested a 40-year-old woman who lived in the building on suspicion of starting the blaze in the upscale 16th arrondissement.
Firefighters in breathing apparatus scaled ladders to rescue residents stranded on balconies on the eight-story block on Rue Erlanger. Some were hoisted down on ropes and at least one person abseiled to safety.
Thirty-six people were injured, including firefighters, authorities said. “It was a particularly violent fire,” Captain Clement Cognon of the Paris fire service told BFM TV.
Rescue crews edged along outer ledges as colleagues sprayed water onto the upper levels of the building. Officers escorted residents down smoke-filled passageways and evacuated residents from neighboring buildings, TV footage showed.
The fire started on the upper floors after midnight and was under control by 9 a.m. local time, officials said.
Paris Prosecutor Remy Heitz said investigators believed the fire was started deliberately and a woman had been detained. He said the woman had mental health issues.
Le #ConseilDeParis s’ouvre ce matin par une minute de silence après l’incendie survenu cette nuit rue Erlanger, dans le 16e arrondissement. Avec @danielegiazzi et l’ensemble des élus, nous rendrons hommage aux victimes à 14h45 dans l’hémicycle. pic.twitter.com/q81QfhbDsG
— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) February 5, 2019
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wrote on Twitter that the city was in mourning after the fire, which came less than a month after a gas blast in the capital killed four people.
Rue Erlanger is near the Parc des Princes soccer stadium and Roland Garros, the French Open tennis venue.
By Clotaire Achi
