Five children die in house fire

Authorities say five siblings have died after a fire erupted in a home in northern France.

Rescue team official Thierry Oberlin said yesterday that the children’s father escaped the inferno late on Saturday in the town of Saint Quentin, about 90 miles north of Paris.

Mr Oberlin said the father – who reportedly sustained light burns – contacted a neighbour who alerted authorities.

French media, citing local authorities, reported that the children were aged two to ten.

Separately, authorities said another fire in the northern Paris suburb of Aubervilliers killed three people and injured 13.