Second Paris fire kills 16 in 18-story building

September 5, 2005

The death toll has risen to 16 confirmed dead and an unconfirmed number of people are injured in another fire south of Paris, France. Investigators say the fire was caused by arson. 4 people have arrested, 3 are teenage girls (18 to 16 years old).

The fire occurred early Sunday morning in an apartment building in the southern suburb of l'Haÿ-les-Roses.

It is known that 13 people were taken to hospital with injuries. One woman was in labor and gave birth at the scene. She was then taken to hospital with her baby.

The blaze reportedly originated in the entrance hall mailboxes. The flames were put out quickly, but people died by inhaling the fumes. The problem with the fumes seems to have been compounded by a panic movement, whereby inhabitants opened doors leading to staircases &mdash; enabling the fumes to fill some upper parts of the building.

Earlier this year there were several well-publicized deadly fires in central Paris. This fire is the fourth in five months.