A fire that erupted in a holiday cottage specially designed for disabled individuals in the town of Wintzenheim in eastern France has left eleven people missing, as confirmed by local authorities on Wednesday.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin expressed the likelihood of multiple casualties, as the fire consumed 300 out of 500 square meters of the building. Search and rescue operations were ongoing at the time of his statement.
Seventeen individuals were successfully evacuated from the premises, with one person being transported to a hospital for medical attention, as reported by the local prefecture. The group of missing individuals, all adults, hailed from the city of Nancy in eastern France.
The fire was first reported at 6:30 AM (04:30 GMT), and firefighting teams promptly managed to extinguish the flames, according to the prefecture’s account.
In response to the incident, 76 firefighters, 4 fire engines, 4 ambulances, and 40 police officers were mobilized by the fire department to control the fire, aid the injured, and conduct rescue efforts.
