At least 10 were killed and dozens more injured in the blaze that ravaged a Paris apartment.
A building resident “who manifested psychiatric issues” is being detained in connection with a Paris apartment fire that killed at least 10 people and injured 37 more early Tuesday morning, according to authorities.
Authorities are continuing to investigate what caused the deadly blaze in the affluent 16th arrondissement, but believe it could have been intentional, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz told local reporters, according to APTN.
A woman in her 40s who lived in the building was detained on the street shortly after the fire broke out, Heitz said.
“[She] manifested psychiatric issues,” Heitz said. “She is in custody. An investigation is being carried out to know exactly what conditions the fire would have spread and the conditions [under] which it would have been started.”
The fire broke out in the second floor of an 8-story apartment around 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, authorities said.
Some residents fled to the roof during the blaze, where they had to later be rescued by firefighters.
Additional people including eight firefighters suffered less serious injuries as a result of the fast-moving blaze, said French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo added that officials will continue assessing the scene throughout the day.
"It is still too early to see how many people need to be assisted, but this is a building with at least 50 apartments,” Hidalgo told reporters. “So we of course are going to be operating all day, and the town hall of the 16th district will be the place for families, persons who would like to seek assistance. The city hall will be here to accompany them in what is a tragedy affecting us all here in the 16th and all over Paris."
The building, located on Rue Erlanger, is located near the Parc des Princes soccer stadium and the Roland Garros French Open tennis venue.
The 16th arrondissement is a quiet neighborhood popular among older couples and wealthy families.
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