According to the local government, a fire in an apartment building outside of Lyon, France, has claimed the lives of ten people, five of them children.
In a statement issued by authorities, it was stated that a “sizeable fire” had started in a seven-story apartment building in Vaulx-en-Velin.
Ten other people reported minor injuries, and four people are in critical condition.
170 firefighters who were dispatched to the scene at 03:25 put out the fire (02:25 GMT).
According to local officials, two firefighters were among the injured.
Olivier Klein, the minister delegate of cities and housing for the Borne region, tweeted on Friday morning: “The provisional tally sends chills down your spine.
The minister of the interior, Gerard Darmanin, said the cause of the fire is still unknown and praised the work of the firefighters who rescued people in “extremely difficult conditions”.
He added that the children who died were all aged between three and 15.
Mr Darmanin added that an inquiry into what sparked the fire would be launched later on Friday.