Nice arson attack: Seventh suspect charged in family's death

A 26-year-old man, identified as Yassine K., is facing charges as the alleged mastermind behind a deadly arson attack in Nice. The fire, which occurred in July 2024, claimed the lives of seven members of a Comorian family, including four children, in the city's Moulins neighborhood. Authorities believe the attack was part of a conflict over drug trafficking routes.

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The fire spread to a seventh-floor apartment.

Yassine K. was reportedly extracted from a prison in Nancy and is suspected of recruiting three individuals to carry out the arson. The fire started in the stairwell of a building and quickly spread to an apartment on the seventh floor. Victims included three young children, a teenager, two women, and a man who died attempting to escape. The family was reportedly uninvolved in the drug trade.

This arrest brings the total number of suspects charged in the case to seven. The investigation has revealed a complex web of involvement, including alleged financiers and arsonists. While three suspected arsonists have been identified, two were apprehended, and one, an Algerian national, was not extradited. The suspected ringleader, a 28-year-old Senegalese national with prior drug convictions, is also at large and has not been extradited.

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He is suspected of having recruited three people on behalf of the instigator of the attack which took place in a conflict over the control of drug dealing networks.

Yassine K. faces charges including participation in a criminal association and complicity in dangerous destruction of property. However, he has formally denied any role in organizing the attack. The case underscores the escalating violence and challenges in combating drug trafficking networks in Nice.

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He formally denies having played a role in the organization of the attack.