Fire near Marseille: a “targeted criminal attack”, death of a 5-year-old child… What we know about this fire which killed 2 people

On the night of Thursday January 16 to Friday January 17, a fire broke out in an apartment located on the ground floor of a building in Miramas, northwest of Marseille. At the time of the fire, a family was there: 5-year-old twins and their parents.

On Saturday, the 41-year-old mother died in hospital. His son, aged 5, died from his injuries during the night from Saturday to Sunday. His twin sister, like his father, suffered burns to his face and hands, are in stable condition.

“A targeted attack”

But what could have happened that night of January 16? For the public prosecutor of Aix-en-Provence, Jean-Luc Blachon, there is no doubt, “the first investigations made it possible to conclude with certainty that the fire was of criminal origin.” This family’s apartment, apparently without trouble, would have been specifically “targeted”. “A crime of absolute seriousness,” said the prosecutor.

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An investigation into “murder, attempted murder by an organized gang and arson by an organized gang causing danger to people” was opened and entrusted to the judicial police. The motivations for the crime are currently unknown.