Nine bodies were discovered Wednesday after a fire at a centre in eastern France where a group of people with learning disabilities were vacationing.
Authorities first reported 11 people missing in the village of Wintzenheim, with President Emmanuel Macron calling the disaster a tragedy.
Christophe Marot, secretary general of the Haut Rhin prefecture in eastern France, said there was no doubt the missing were trapped In the burning building.
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According to Deputy Mayor Daniel Leroy, three victims were discovered using a drone early, but others were discovered later using direct searches and dogs.
The local fire department told AFP that officials were notified of the incident in Wintzenheim at about 6:30 a.m local time.
It was reported that seventeen people were successfully evacuated, with one being hospitalized and another being treated for shock.
Those staying at the centre were part of a group of adults who had travelled from the nearby city of Nancy for the holidays. Marot said 28 persons were inside at the time, with 11 reported missing.
He claimed people on the ground floor could flee swiftly, but not those upstairs.
The housing was rented by an organization that assists people with learning disabilities, according to the fire department.
According to the firefighters, the fire badly destroyed the classic semi-timbered building built in the Alsace region.
An AFP photographer said firefighters were dousing the accident site with fire hoses about mid-morning.
Marot stated that ten people with mild learning disabilities and one supervisor were missing.
He said there was no evidence of what caused the fire and that regional prosecutors will launch an investigation.
