Fire in Paris suburb housing project kills 5, including 3 children

5 die in fire at French housing project

PARIS —A fire broke out in a housing project building outside Paris early Monday, killing two sleeping adults and three children, one an infant, officials said. Another 15 people with smoke inhalation were hospitalized.

About 100 firefighters battled the blaze, which apparently broke out in a stairwell, and evacuated about 30 people from the building in a project in the working-class suburb of Sevran, northeast of Paris, regional authorities said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation. The blaze began in a stairwell and then it moved to the ninth floor of the 10-story building, Paris firefighter spokesman Florent Hivert.

Sevran Mayor Stephane Gatignon, addressing complaints of some residents, confirmed that trap doors on the roof had apparently been locked shut, but were “quickly broken even before firefighters arrived.”

Gatignon, speaking on France-Info radio, said the traps were meant to provide an exit for smoke. However, police on a regular basis ask building owners to close them as a security measure, he added. Closing traps would help keep youths off roof tops.