Fire Claims Eight Lives in Paris Apartment Block; Woman Arrested, Reports Reuters

PARIS – A devastating fire tore through an apartment building in Paris early Tuesday, resulting in at least eight fatalities and injuring 36 others, according to local authorities.

Investigators are treating the incident as a possible criminal act, and a woman has been taken into custody during the inquiry.

Firefighters arrived on the scene and used ladders to rescue residents trapped on their balconies in the eight-story building located on Rue Erlanger, close to the Parc des Princes soccer stadium and the Roland Garros tennis venue.

As flames engulfed the structure, firefighters worked tirelessly to douse the blaze, which was particularly intense and visible from the street in the city’s upscale 16th district.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced that, as of 0800 GMT, the fire was "totally under control."

City official Emmanuel Gregoire reported that the fire ignited on the upper floors just after midnight, and confirmed that all of the deceased were residents of the building.

"It was a particularly violent fire," Captain Clement Cognon of the Paris fire service noted during an interview.

Additionally, Paris Prosecutor Remy Heitz stated that investigators are looking into a potential "criminal" cause for the fire, indicating that the detained woman, aged 40 and with known mental health issues, may be connected to the incident.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo expressed her sorrow on social media, highlighting the city’s mourning in the wake of this tragedy, which occurred less than a month after another incident involving a gas explosion that resulted in four deaths in central Paris.