7 dead in building fire in upmarket Paris neighbourhood

Paris:Seven people died many were injured in a building fire in a wealthy Paris neighbourhood on Monday night, the fire service said.

The blaze, which took hold in an eight-storey block in the French capital’s trendy 16th arrondissement, left 24 people, including two firefighters, with minor injuries.

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 3:30 am (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.