France: Algerians and Tunisians accused of initiating a fire that killed 8 people

An Algerian and two Tunisians have been charged as part of an investigation into a "criminal" fire that killed eight people in February in southwestern France and have been detained, AFP learned Wednesday from the Public Prosecutor's Office.

Eight people, including a baby and a two-year-old child from the same family, were killed in a fire that broke out in three buildings on the night of February 13-14 in the village of Saint-Laurent de la Salanc, which has a population of 10,000.

A 27-year-old Algerian was accused of "deliberate destruction by fire, which led to deaths, injuries and destruction", and was placed under arrest in a hospital in Montpellier, where he was transferred after being injured during the incident.

A 43-year-old Tunisian, who owns a grocery store located on the ground floor of the burned-down buildings, was also charged, as well as a 40-year-old Tunisian, with "complicity in a felony and misdemeanour," according to the public prosecutor.

They were imprisoned and placed in pretrial detention.

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