Deadly fire breaks out at French ski resort

At least two people were killed and 25 injured in a fire at the Alpine ski resort of Courchevel early on Sunday, French authorities said. The Albertville prosecutor has opened an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Officials in the French region of Savoie said the blaze broke out around 4:30 a.m. local time in a building that houses seasonal workers. About 130 firefighters were deployed to the scene. Rescue teams evacuated 60 people from the burning building, including foreign citizens. The fire was eventually extinguished several hours later.

Rescuers found the two bodies in the damaged area of the three-story building. Helicopters were deployed to transport some of the more seriously injured survivors to a hospital.

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner expressed his condolences and praised the local firefighters for getting the fire under control.

The French town of Courchevel is located near the Italian border in the French Alps. The town, which is a well-known tourist destination, hosted the female skiing World Cup last month.

dj/jm (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

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