Fire in Seine-Saint-Denis apartment block leaves 13-years-old boy dead

10:15

A 13-years-old schoolboy has died following a devastating apartment fire in a residential high-rise building in Saint-Denis-Pierrefitte, located in the Seine-Saint-Denis region of northern Paris, according to local authorities.

The fire broke out early Tuesday morning inside a multi-storey housing block, prompting the evacuation of the entire building. Emergency services confirmed that multiple apartments were affected and that significant damage occurred before the blaze was brought under control.

According to the mayor of the city, Bally Bagayoko, the situation is particularly tragic. The boy’s mother and another child were hospitalized, while the father is reported to be in shock. Authorities have also confirmed that several apartments were destroyed in the incident.

Firefighters from the Paris Fire Brigade deployed major resources to the scene, including around one hundred personnel and approximately twenty emergency vehicles. Rescue operations began shortly after 6:50 a.m., with emergency teams carrying out multiple evacuations from the upper floors of the building.

Officials reported that two apartments at the top of the building were directly involved in the fire, which appears to have started in one unit before spreading to another. However, the exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined and remains under investigation.

Authorities have stated that a crisis support unit will be set up to assist displaced residents and families affected by the tragedy. Temporary housing arrangements are being organized for those who lost their homes in the evacuation.

The incident has raised renewed concerns about fire safety in densely populated urban housing blocks, where rapid response and building conditions can play a critical role in limiting casualties during emergencies.

Rescue operations and investigations are continuing as officials work to determine how the fire started and whether any preventive measures could have reduced its impact.