Tragic fire in France: An electric scooter battery claimed the lives of four people

Incident Overview

The fire broke out on the fourth floor, where a family with two sons lived. A thirteen-year-old boy died after jumping from a window in an attempt to escape the flames. His fifteen-year-old brother was found inside the apartment with no signs of life. An 87-year-old woman and her 59-year-old son, who lived on the eighth floor, also lost their lives due to smoke inhalation.

In addition to the four fatalities, several others were seriously injured in the fire, including the stepfather of both boys who sustained severe burns. A total of 26 people were treated in hospital for minor injuries and smoke inhalation poisoning.

Cause and Response

According to Prosecutor François Schneider, there is no doubt that the fire spread very quickly because of an electric scooter battery that ignited for reasons still unknown. Firefighters battled the blaze for over three hours since battery fires are extremely difficult to extinguish.