7 burnt to death in midnight attack by hooded assailants
In a heartbreaking incident that unfolded in the early hours of Thursday in Nice, France, seven individuals, including three young children and a teenager, lost their lives in a devastating fire.
Authorities are treating the blaze as a potential case of arson, with the mayor of Nice confirming that surveillance footage captured hooded perpetrators pouring petrol into a stairwell before igniting the flames.
The fire swiftly engulfed the upper floors of an apartment building in the Moulins neighborhood, close to the city’s airport.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin expressed deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives, particularly noting the tragic deaths of the children.
He pledged that law enforcement would diligently investigate the circumstances surrounding this horrific event.
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The victims, who were reportedly all members of the same family, included children aged five, seven, and ten, along with a teenager, two women, and a man.
Tragically, two family members attempted to flee through a window, resulting in one fatality and one individual currently in critical condition.
Heartbreaking witness accounts described the devastating scene as the fire raged on, leaving little hope for those trapped inside the building.
The head of the Comorian community in southern France, Najim Maecha, shared that the family had been part of the community in Nice since around 2013.
Mayor Christian Estrosi expressed profound sorrow over the high number of casualties, with seven lives lost and an additional 30 individuals suffering from smoke inhalation.
“I’ve asked the interior minister to deploy security forces to ensure residents’ safety and avoid new incidents after this tragedy that’s being investigated as potential arson,” he said.
Proofreading and editing by Fa’izatu Aliyu Doma, Journalist at Neptune Prime.
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