According to French officials, in Eastern France, a fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon in a vacation home for disabled individuals, and as a result, 11 people are missing while 17 others have been evacuated.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin tweeted, “This morning, near the German border in the small town of Wintzenheim, a fire broke out in a facility for disabled people.” He stated, “Despite the rapid and courageous intervention of the firefighting department… there are reports of several people being injured.” Rescue operations are still ongoing.
Local authorities in the Haut-Rhin region reported that a fire started in a private residence in Wintzenheim at 6:30 AM. Seventeen individuals were evacuated, including one person who was sent to the hospital in “relative emergency” condition.
Christophe Marot, the Secretary-General of the local administration, told France Info news broadcaster that the group includes adults with “moderate intellectual disabilities.” He explained that among the missing individuals, there are ten disabled people in the group, plus one person who is accompanying them.