Seven people, including three children and their mother, died early on Thursday (July 18) in what authorities suspect was arson that devastated a crowded seventh-floor apartment in a building in Nice, the largest city on the French Riviera, Reuters reports.
The fire started around 3 a.m. (0100 GMT) and spread so quickly through the apartment that only the people who were close to the windows could be saved, Hugues Moutouh, the local representative of the interior ministry told TV station BFM.
The fire killed one man, a teenager, two women and three children, he said. One of the victims was a father who jumped through the window tied to a mattress, Moutouh added.
The victims were from a family of 10, who were living in the 80 square meter apartment which caught fire, Moutouh said.
