A woman has been arrested following an apartment fire in Paris that killed eight people and left dozens injured.

Prosecutor Remy Heitz said the investigation "has just begun" and it was too early to determine the cause of the overnight fire, but that arson is suspected.

A 40-year-old woman who lives in the building was detained locally.

The Herald:

Eight people have been confirmed dead and 31 injured, including six firefighters.

About 50 people were safely rescued from the building in western Paris.

Fire service spokesman Clement Cognon earlier said firefighters are continuing to search apartments to see if there are any other victims, after the blaze was brought under control.

The Herald:

Emergency teams are also working to ensure the building does not collapse from the fire damage.

A witness said she saw flames shooting from the top of the building and victims fleeing.

Jacqueline Ravier, who lives across the street from the building, said: "I heard a woman screaming in the street, crying and screaming for help."

She said shaken, evacuated residents were brought to her building and the property next door.

She described seeing "a young man in his underwear," blackened by smoke, and a woman motionless on the ground outside.

The Herald:

"We feel the smoke," she said. "What's surprising is how long it lasted."

The building is less than a mile from the Roland Garros stadium that hosts the French Open tennis tournament, and close to the popular Bois de Boulogne park on the city's western edge.

The 16th arrondissement is one of the most high-end districts of Paris.

The fire comes a month after a deadly explosion and blaze linked to a gas leak in a Paris bakery.