Equestrian school fire kills nine, including seven teens

A PREDAWN fire swept through an equestrian school in eastern France yesterday, killing seven teenagers and two adults, authorities said.

The victims were sleeping in the building where the fire broke out in Lescheraines, a village north of Chambery, in the Savoie region, officials said. The seven teens, aged between 13 to 15, were from the region but stayed overnight at the school, authorities said.

Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour said two adults were killed as well. One person was reported hospitalised with severe burns.

The riding school was certified by the state, but the dormitory where the teens slept was not up to standard and was not registered with authorities, Lamour said.

The school, set in a park in the Bauges mountains, consisted of three wooden buildings, including a ring for horses and administrative offices, said Alain Lhiullier, deputy director of the regional fire-rescue squad.

“The fire was very violent, and from the beginning we knew there were people who never made it out of the building,” Lhiullier said.

Authorities said investigators had not yet determined the cause of the blaze.

“We don’t know where the fire originated,” Lhiullier said. “Only one person managed to escape, and we’re still gathering evidence.”

Twelve fire trucks and 45 firefighters from three fire departments arrived after the blaze was reported at 3:44am and took two hours to contain the fire.

Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who was vacationing in the region, arrived at the scene early Thursday to support the parents of the victims. He called it a “particularly cruel tragedy when death strikes adolescence and youth so brutally and throws families into sadness.”