Eleven dead after French holiday lodging fire
Eleven people are confirmed to have died in a fire at a holiday lodging in eastern France, being used by a group of adults with learning disabilities, deputy prosecutor for the region Nathalie Kielwasser told reporters on Wednesday.
With bodies being brought out of the ravaged building in the eastern French town of Witzenheim, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne at the scene expressed her "sadness" over the "appalling" disaster.
According to a statement released on Wednesday morning, 17 people were safely evacuated, with one person hospitalised and another treated for shock.
The secretary general of the Haut Rhin prefecture in eastern France, Christophe Marot said that of the 11 dead, 10 were people with learning difficulties and one was a supervisor.
The local fire service told AFP they were alerted about the blaze in the town of Wintzenheim, just outside Colmar close to the German border, at around 6.30am.
"The fire was quickly brought under control despite the intensity of the flames," the prefecture the Haut-Rhin region said in a statement released on Wednesday morning.
People on the ground floor were able to quickly leave the premises but not those upstairs, he said.
Marot said there was no indication over the cause of the blaze and added an investigation would be opened by regional prosecutors.
According to the fire department, the lodging was rented by an association in that helps people with learning difficulties.
The traditional semi-timbered building, built in the style of the Alsace region, was severely damaged by the fire, according to the firefighters.
At mid-morning, the firefighters were dousing the scene of the disaster with the help of fire hoses, an AFP photographer said.
The roof was destroyed by the flames and, on the first floor, the charred wooden framework was visible.
Other firefighters were clearing wreckage away from the scene of the disaster with smoke still rising up.
French President Emmanuel Macron posted: “In the face of this tragedy, my thoughts go out to the victims, the injured, and their loved ones. Thank you to the security forces and rescue services who mobilised."
À Wintzenheim les flammes ont ravagé un gîte qui accueillait des personnes en situation de handicap et leurs accompagnateurs. Face à cette tragédie, mes pensées vont aux victimes, aux blessés, à leurs proches. Merci à nos forces de sécurité et nos services de secours mobilisés.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 9, 2023
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With bodies being brought out of the ravaged building in the eastern French town of Witzenheim, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne at the scene expressed her "sadness" over the "appalling" disaster.
According to a statement released on Wednesday morning, 17 people were safely evacuated, with one person hospitalised and another treated for shock.
The secretary general of the Haut Rhin prefecture in eastern France, Christophe Marot said that of the 11 dead, 10 were people with learning difficulties and one was a supervisor.
The local fire service told AFP they were alerted about the blaze in the town of Wintzenheim, just outside Colmar close to the German border, at around 6.30am.
"The fire was quickly brought under control despite the intensity of the flames," the prefecture the Haut-Rhin region said in a statement released on Wednesday morning.
People on the ground floor were able to quickly leave the premises but not those upstairs, he said.
Marot said there was no indication over the cause of the blaze and added an investigation would be opened by regional prosecutors.
According to the fire department, the lodging was rented by an association in that helps people with learning difficulties.
The traditional semi-timbered building, built in the style of the Alsace region, was severely damaged by the fire, according to the firefighters.
At mid-morning, the firefighters were dousing the scene of the disaster with the help of fire hoses, an AFP photographer said.
The roof was destroyed by the flames and, on the first floor, the charred wooden framework was visible.
Other firefighters were clearing wreckage away from the scene of the disaster with smoke still rising up.
French President Emmanuel Macron posted: “In the face of this tragedy, my thoughts go out to the victims, the injured, and their loved ones. Thank you to the security forces and rescue services who mobilised."
À Wintzenheim les flammes ont ravagé un gîte qui accueillait des personnes en situation de handicap et leurs accompagnateurs. Face à cette tragédie, mes pensées vont aux victimes, aux blessés, à leurs proches. Merci à nos forces de sécurité et nos services de secours mobilisés.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 9, 2023
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