A FIRE THAT broke out overnight at a residential building in a working-class neighbourhood in the southern French city of Nice has killed seven people, firefighters have said this morning. 

Rescuers were alerted at around 2:30am local time (1:30am Irish time) to the blaze in Les Moulins. In spite of the substantial resources deployed, rescuers said, “unfortunately seven people died during this fire”. 

Nice prosecutor Damien Martinelli said investigators were looking into a “criminal” cause for the fire.

“In light of the initial evidence, I have opened an investigation into acts of arson leading to death,” he told journalists at the scene.

Three children and a teenager were among the victims, he added.

Rescuers said that one person was taken to hospital as an “absolute emergency” and two others were hospitalised as “relative emergencies”.

Rescuers said they were confronted by a “violent apartment fire” on the seventh floor of the building. They carried out three aerial ladder rescues and evacuated dozens.

In total, 25 fire engines and 72 firefighters were involved in tackling the fire.