A mother has been killed alongside her seven children in a house fire that broke out while they slept after a clothes dryer burst into flames.
The incident took place at the family home in Northern France in the town of Charly-sur-Marne which is situated 50 miles east of Paris.
The fire broke out as the family slept in the early hours of Monday (February 6) morning, with the ages of the children ranging from two to 14, per the Daily Mail.
Nearly 80 firefighters tackled the blaze, with neighboring houses being evacuated as a precaution. Sadly, the mother along with her seven children died as a result of the fire.
Only the woman's husband, who was the father to three of the children, survived but he suffered severe burns and was taken to the local hospital where his condition is said to be non-life-threatening.
Four of the children were from the mother's previous relationship, and they included five girls and two boys.
Local prosecutor Julien Morino-Ros revealed that those who sadly lost their lives did so due to asphyxiation. He also confirmed the fire began due to a malfunctioning dryer on the ground floor.
Due to electricity costs being cheaper in the early hours of the morning, it is thought that the family utilized this and put the dryer on as they slept.
Police have indicated their fears that the father went to investigate the smoke and instructed his family to stay in the second-floor attic which would have turned into a "trap" for those who sadly lost their lives.
Fire chief Jean-Claude Ouguel, cited by the Daily Mail, said: "The house was completely destroyed. Only the side walls remain."
Sylvie Corré, the wife of the owner of the property revealed that the family was highly thought of in the neighborhood and she added: "I hope with all my heart that those who died did not feel any pain, or see anything. We were there in the street all night and watched the horror."
The fire was extinguished after several hours with 80 firefighters and 48 vehicles engaged in tackling the blaze which also caused damage to neighboring properties.
Parallels are being made between this tragedy and a similar blaze that occurred a decade ago in northern France.
The ordeal, which took place in the town of Saint Quentin, about 90 miles north of Paris, saw five young children lose their lives after a home caught fire. The children's father jumped from the first floor of the building in order to get help, The Guardian reported at the time.
Per reports, the man was lightly injured following the fire, sustaining non-life-threatening burns. He alerted a neighbor who contacted the emergency services.
By the time help arrived, the home was deemed unsafe to gain entry into and the five youngsters' bodies were discovered after the fire had already been put out.
Local authorities said the children were between the ages of two and 10 and had been staying with their father for the weekend.
Our thoughts are with those affected by both tragedies.
