Two people died Sunday and 25 more were injured, four seriously, in a fire at the ski resort of Courchevel in the French Alps, officials said. The pre-dawn blaze forced the evacuation of some 60 resort workers, including foreigners, from a three-storey accommodation building. Firefighters found the two unidentified bodies in a burnt-out area of the building in the upmarket Courchevel 1850 ski station.
Three of the four badly injured were flown to hospital by helicopter, the local officials said. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. "Some young people escaped down the facade of the building using the balustrades. Some of them were in their underwear," said one witness, who identified himself as Victor, 27.
The blaze had already devoured the top two floors of the building by the time firefighters arrived, fire service spokesman Emmanuel Clavaud said. Around 70 firemen working at the scene brought it under control by daybreak. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner tweeted condolences to the families and friends of the dead and paid tribute to the firemen who tackled the blaze. Courchevel is one of the most chic resorts in the French Alps, with numerous Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury chalets.
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