An electric scooter is blamed for a violent fire that killed 4 in a French city
Four people were killed in an 'extremely violent' blaze seemingly caused by a battery-powered electric scooter that tore through a 10-story housing block in Reims, the capital of France's Champagne region, authorities said Saturday.
A 13-year-old jumped to his death from the 4th floor apartment where the fire started in the early hours of Friday and a burned body found inside is believed to be that of his older brother, aged 15, said Reims prosecutor François Schneider.
An 87-year-old woman and her 59-year-old son who lived on the 8th floor suffocated to death in the smoke, he said.
Two people were seriously injured, including the dead boys' stepfather who was badly burned, and 26 others were treated in hospital for lighter injuries, he said.
Schneider said there is 'no doubt' that the blaze was accidental, spreading quickly from the scooter that caught fire for reasons unknown.
Battery fires 'are extremely difficult to extinguish' and fire officers battled the blaze for more than three hours, the prosecutor said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
24 minutes ago
- CBS News
Bride shot dead, 13-year-old wounded by masked gunmen at wedding party in France
Armed men opened fire at a wedding party in southeastern France early Sunday, killing the bride and wounding three others, said a source close to the investigation. The attack in the village of Goult occurred around 4:30 am. According to initial information, the bride and groom were leaving the party when they were confronted by masked assailants who opened fire, the source close to the investigation added. The bride died and one of the attackers was killed, run over by the bride and groom's car as they tried to escape, the source said. A large-scale operation involving around 100 police has been launched to find those responsible for the shooting, according to the source. The three injured people were the groom, his sister and a 13-year-old child, according to Le Figaro. Officials did not say if the child was related to the couple, but a source close to the case told the Sun the 13-year-old was the newlyweds' son. A pedestrian walks in a street of the town where a fatal shooting took place during a wedding party in Goult, in the southern French department of Vaucluse, on June 22, 2025. GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images The Avignon prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for "murder and attempted murder by an organized gang," Le Figaro reported. Investigators are looking into whether the shooting had to do with a possible settling of scores. "I think it was targeted," the town's mayor, Didier Perello, told reporters, according to Le Figaro. Goult is located in southeast France, about 55 miles north of of Marseille, a port city that has been recently shaken by drug-related violence. In 2022, Goult had a population of just over 1,000 people.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
6 dead after semi-truck crash in Osceola County
Six people are dead and a man is injured after a semi-trailer crash in Osceola County on Saturday afternoon, the Florida Highway Patrol said. At approximately 3:46 p.m., a 2025 Hyundai Tucson was traveling westbound on State Road 60 west of South Kenansville Road, FHP said. A 2011 semi-truck with a trailer, driven by a 36-year-old man from Miami Gardens, was traveling eastbound on State Road 60 west of South Kenansville Road. The Hyundai driver entered the eastbound lane to pass several vehicles, FHP said. The driver attempted to re-enter the westbound lane and lost control. As a result, the left side of the Hyundai struck the front of the semi-truck, FHP said. This impact caused both vehicles to become engulfed in flames. The occupants of the Hyundai became entrapped inside. All six occupants of the Hyundai, who were possibly three adults and three children, were pronounced dead on-scene, FHP said. The medical examiner's office will update FHP once they have positively identified the occupants. The Miami Gardens man was transported to Indian River Hospital with minor injuries, FHP said. This crash remains under investigation.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
West Lothian man rushed to hospital with serious injuries after incident on busy road
A West Lothian man was rushed to hospital on Saturday with serious injuries following an incident on a busy Bathgate road. Officers were called to Plessey Road at around 10:40pm on Saturday, June 21 after they received reports of a disturbance. The exact nature of the incident has yet to be confirmed. A 43-year-old man was rushed to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. His current condition is unknown. READ MORE: Edinburgh locals warn 'we will go to war over parking' if development goes ahead READ MORE: Edinburgh locals party atop Arthur's Seat at stunning sunset rave A Police Scotland spokesperson added: "We were called to a report of a disturbance in the Plessey Road area of Bathgate around 10.40pm on Saturday, 21 June, 2025. 'Emergency services attended and a 43-year-old man was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment to serious injuries. 'Enquiries are ongoing.' Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
