French holiday home owner to face trial over 11 fire deaths

The owner of a French holiday home where 11 people died in a 2023 fire will face trial for involuntary manslaughter and involuntary bodily harm, Paris prosecutors said Friday.

The fire happened in Wintzenheim, in the Alsace region of eastern France. The victims were 10 adults with learning disabilities and their companion, who were on a summer holiday break.

Prosecutors said the holiday home owner and a management company of which she is the sole shareholder will face the charges.

The trial is expected to take place from January 25 to February 10.

Local authorities said the building, a former barn renovated a few years earlier, had not been properly declared or brought into compliance with regulations.