A fire broke out around 3 a.m. Friday in the heart of Clermont-Ferrand, in a five-story apartment building. The building, adjoining other constructions, is located in a narrow cul-de-sac which made the area difficult to access for emergency vehicles.
Emergency services noticed that two apartments were on fire when they arrived on the scene. Despite the difficulties of intervention, the investigation progressed quickly under the aegis of the prosecution.
This tragedy cost the lives of four people and caused considerable damage to the structure of the building. The staircase collapsed and the fire reached the roof, causing the fourth and fifth floors to collapse.
The investigators' initial findings suggest a possible criminal origin for the fire, according to details provided on Friday by the prosecution. A 20-year-old man, who was alongside the suspect when the incident began, presented himself at the Clermont-Ferrand police station on Saturday. The main suspect, aged 21, was indicted in particular for “destruction of the property of others by dangerous means” and placed in pre-trial detention.
The fire broke out around 3 a.m. Friday in the heart of Clermont-Ferrand, in a five-story apartment building, adjoining other buildings, in a narrow cul-de-sac making the area difficult to access for emergency vehicles.
A 20-year-old man, who was at his side when the fire started, presented himself to the Clermont-Ferrand police station on Saturday, according to the prosecution.
“The fire then reached the roof and led to the collapse of the 4th and 5th floors,” according to the town hall.