Perilous Times
8 April 2012 Last updated at 12:56 ET
France: Paris Church building collapse kills child,
6, in Pierrefitte
At least 100 worshippers were in the building when the roof
collapsed
A six-year-old child was killed when a Protestant house of worship
collapsed to the north of Paris, police say.
Thirty-two people were also injured when the first floor of the
structure, between Stains and Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, gave way
during a service at 14:30 local time (13:30 GMT).
At least 100 worshippers were evacuated from the building, which
is known to be popular with Haitian immigrants.
A two-year-old child and a 42-year-old woman are critically ill in
hospital.
Some 150 firefighters, dozens of vehicles and a helicopter were
mobilised.
The governor of the Seine-Saint-Denis region, where the building
collapsed, said an inquiry had been launched into safety standards
at the church.
Christian Lambert added that the death toll could have been much
higher had anyone been on the ground floor of the building at the
time of the cave-in.
Pierrefitte-sur-Seine is located 2.4 km (1.5 miles) north of the
centre of Paris.