7 teens die in French stables fire
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PARIS, France (CNN) -- Seven teenagers are dead, and two adults are missing, after a fire at an equestrian center in the French Alps, according to a fire service spokesman.
All of those confirmed dead in the overnight blaze in Lescheraines in France's Savoie region were between the ages of 13 and 15.
The victims were on a one-week riding holiday and were asleep when the fire broke out.
Firefighters responding to the blaze said the main building of the riding school was completely engulfed in flames. Two other buildings were also damaged.
Investigators hope to interview a potential witness, who is being treated for severe burns.
The local prosecutor told Reuters the investigation would focus on the lighting system in the wooden buildings, any recent maintenance or wiring work, and weather conditions.
Firefighters said it was unlikely lightning was to blame.
French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin visited the scene of the blaze on Thursday.
In a statement released by his office, President Jacques Chirac called the deaths a "misfortune which deeply moves all the French."
Raffarin expressed "the nation's solidarity."
"We want to know the truth about the circumstances, the families have a right to this truth," he said after his visit to the center.
The town hall has set up a psychological counseling service for families of the victims.
-- CNN's Jim Bittermann contributed to this report
