Ten people, including five children aged between three and 15 years old, have been killed in a fire near the French city of Lyon.
Another four people were seriously injured in the blaze that broke out at a seven-storey residential block in Vaulx-en-Velin in the early hours of Friday.
Neighbours reported hearing “screams of horror” and witnessed one of the residents throwing her child from the building to people below before jumping to her death.
Around 180 firefighters attended and a security cordon was put in place.
The cause of the fire was not known at this stage, he said.
“There are several scenarios and a probe will be opened,” Mr Darmanin said, adding he was in touch with President Emmanuel Macron over the tragedy.
He went on: “I send my condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims.”
A nearby resident, Mohamed, told local media: “I heard the sound of women and children screaming.
“I woke up my wife, I told her: ‘There is something serious’.
“We wanted to help people but the smoke was too heavy.”
Neighbour, Assed, said: “It was horrible to see. I was really shocked.
“I witnessed a woman who… threw her child to people. They managed to catch him.
“She then tried to jump. It went wrong. She died.”
Rida, another resident, said: “My kid, I told him not to go to school, he’s shocked, it traumatised him to hear screams like that, screams of horror. My legs are shaking.”
Mayor of Lyon Gregory Doucet wrote on Twitter: “Horror has just hit our neighbouring town of Vaulx-en-Velin.
“Ten people, including five children, lost their lives in a fire this morning.
“Our thoughts go out to the families and loved ones of the victims.”