Up to nine people, including seven teenagers, were killed when a fire erupted overnight at a riding school in eastern France.
Dozens of firefighters rushed to the scene after the fire swept through a building where the victims were sleeping in the village of Lescheraines in the Savoie region, north of Chambery.
The teenagers, between 13 and 15 years old, were from the region but stayed overnight at school, authorities said.
Sports Minister Mr Jean-Francois Lamour said two adults were believed dead as well, though investigations were still continuing. Another person was in hospital with severe burns.
The riding centre was certified by the state, but the dormitory where the teens slept was not up to standard and was not registered with authorities, he said.
The school, set amid a park in the Bauges mountains, consisted of three wooden buildings, including a ring for horses and administrative offices, said Mr Alain Lhiullier, deputy director of the regional fire-rescue squad.
"The fire was very violent, and from the beginning we knew there were people who never made it out of the building," Mr Lhiullier said.
Authorities said the cause of the blaze was not immediately known and made no comment as to whether arson was suspected. An inquiry has been opened. Fire officials at the scene sifted through smouldering rubble in search of bodies and clues to the blaze.
"We don't know where the fire originated," Lhiullier said. "Only one person managed to escape, and we're still gathering evidence."
Units from three fire departments, with 12 fire trucks and 45 firefighters, were dispatched to the scene after the blaze was reported. It took firefighters two hours to contain the fire.
Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who was holidaying in the region, arrived at the scene early today to support the parents of the victims.
He called it a "particularly cruel tragedy when death strikes adolescence and youth so brutally and throws families into sadness".
President Jacques Chirac sent a message of condolence, calling the fire "an ordeal that has upset all the French".
Regional traffic was being re-routed after authorities shut down roads to and from Lescheraines.