Eighty fire fighters tackle blaze in central Paris

PARIS (Reuters) – Eighty fire-fighters were fighting a
blaze in the center of Paris on Wednesday close to the Pompidou
Center and Paris City Hall, a fire brigade spokesman and
witnesses said.

Twenty-two fire engines from eight fire stations were
mobilized to tackle the blaze, which sent a thick plume of
smoke into the evening sky, the fire brigade said.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

A fire spokesman said initial reports put the blaze in a
store but local residents told a Reuters correspondent on the
scene that an apartment block was ablaze.

The blaze was the latest in a spate of fires in the French
capital which have killed 24 people, mostly Africans, and
raised questions over fire safety and the treatment of
immigrants.

After the latest fire on Monday, in which seven people
died, President Jacques Chirac demanded action on fire safety
to prevent further tragedies.