Five die in French house blaze

PARIS, June 17 (Reuters) Five people died when they were trapped in a burning house in the southwestern French town of Moissac, authorities said today.

''The fire broke out on the ground floor and the blaze prevented people on the first floor from escaping,'' an official from the local prefecture told i-Tele television.

''By the time the fire brigade arrived, it was too late. All they could do was clear the wreckage and recover the five bodies,'' he said.

The building was occupied by a couple who took in homeless people, according to the spokesman.

An investigation has begun into the causes of the fire, which occurred early today.

Reuters PJ RN2153