SEVEN PEOPLE have died and a further 28 have been injured in a fire at an apartment block in Paris.
The fire occurred at around 3:30am (2:30am GMT) this morning, February 5th, at an eight-storey residential block on Erlanger Street in the 16th arrondissement of the French capital.
A fire service spokesperson has confirmed that seven people have been killed in the blaze.
"The toll could still increase because the fire is still in progress on the seventh and eighth floors", they told the AFP news agency.
As many as 200 firefighters are currently tackling the blaze, with Erlanger Street currently closed while fire services and ambulances attempt to deal with the situation.
Local residents could be seen scrambling on to nearby roofs to escape the smoke and flames of the fire which took hold of the building in the early hours of the morning.
Les premières photos de l'incendie rue Erlanger à #Paris sont impressionnantes. On voit que plusieurs étages ont été ravagés par les flammes.
Photos B. Moser / BSPP pic.twitter.com/rGb30Q0sUi— Hugo Puffeney (@puffeney) February 5, 2019
These people were eventually rescued by the emergency services.
“We had to carry out many rescues, including some people who had taken refuge on the roofs,” fire service spokesperson Clement Cognon confirmed in a statement to reporters.
A popular tourist spot in the French city, the street is located close to the Trocadero overlooking the Eiffel Tower.
It’s also near to soccer team Paris Saint-Germain’s home stadium, the Parc des Princes along with several other upmarket shops, restaurants and landmarks.
See More: Fire, Firefighters, Paris
