A fire in a Paris apartment building housing African immigrants has killed seven people, including at least three children.
French officials say at least 14 other people were injured, two seriously, in the blaze which broke out Monday in the stairwell of the dilapidated building. Five firefighters were among the injured.
Officials say the building had been occupied by immigrants from Ivory Coast.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
French President Jacques Chirac offered his condolences and ordered an investigation into the fire.
It was the third major blaze in Paris this year in a building housing immigrants.
On Friday, an apartment fire killed 17 African immigrants who were awaiting permanent housing from the government.
In April, a fire at a Paris hotel catering to mostly African and European immigrants killed 23 people.
Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
