A mother and her seven children have died in a house fire in northern France, believed to have been caused by a faulty tumble dryer. The tragedy occurred in the early hours of the morning in Charly-sur-Marne, around 50 miles east of Paris, where the family lived in a town house.
The only survivor of the blaze was the father, who is said to be in a stable condition in hospital. Prosecutor Julien Morino-Ros confirmed that the children, five girls and two boys aged between two and 14, along with their mother, died of asphyxiation. It is thought the family may have started the tumble dryer in the early hours to take advantage of cheaper electricity tariffs.
Firefighters arrived at the scene after 1am but struggled to access the top floors of the property. It is feared that the father told his wife and children to stay in the second-floor attic while he investigated the smoke, but the attic became a trap when all electric shutters jammed due to a power failure. The house was completely destroyed in the blaze.
A manslaughter investigation has been launched by French detectives. Sylvie Corré, wife of the property owner, expressed her hope that the victims did not suffer. She described the father as an excellent employee of the family’s champagne business and said the family were well-liked in the community.
