17 African immigrants die in Paris building fire

A fire tore through a six-storey Paris apartment block housing African immigrants on Friday, killing 17 people, at least six of them children, officials said. The blaze broke out in the stairwell of the traditional Parisian apartment building just after midnight when most of the residents were asleep. It was brought under control two hours later, but the cause was not immediately known.

The fire has aggravated debate on the living conditions of immigrants in France. Martine Aubry from the Opposition Socialists told France Info radio, ‘‘These insalubrious, indecent housing facilities only prove the unprecedented housing crisis we are facing in our country.’’ —Reuters