France fire that killed 7 family members linked to drug trade

NICE, France: A fire that killed seven members of one family including four children in the southern French city of Nice last week is linked to conflict among drug traffickers, prosecutors said on Monday.

A fire last week on the top floor of a seven-storey building in Nice killed seven people including children aged five, seven, 10, and 17 in a single apartment. Speaking to reporters, Nice public prosecutor Damien Martinelli said authorities were “actively” hunting three suspects it had identified, including a 17-year-old. Two other suspects have already been arrested -- the 25-year-old driver of the car that brought the perpetrators to the scene and one of the suspected arsonists, aged 21. Referring to the motive, Martinelli said investigators had confirmed a link to “conflict around drug trafficking.”