Seven more Africans die in third Paris fire

SEVEN African immigrants, including four children, have died in a blaze in a rundown building in central Paris, three days after 17 people were killed in a fire in a crowded apartment block.

The blaze raised new questions about the government's fire-safety record and housing policies, which have been under attack since a fire in April killed 24 people at a Paris hotel used by immigrants.

Firefighters struggled for an hour to bring Monday night's blaze under control after it broke out in the stairwell of a building in the Marais district, officials said.

Some residents jumped from windows in an effort to escape the flames.

A fire brigade spokesman said six people died at the scene.

A hospital spokeswoman said a child, who fell from the building, later died from the injuries suffered.