Many victims were in shock after surviving the ordeal

"Lots of people wanted to jump out of the windows, children were crying," building caretaker Oumar Cisse said.

The blaze broke out in the stairwell of the dilapidated apartment block shortly after midnight, French officials said.

"My door was totally burnt, my son threw water then we were saved by the firemen," said a shaken Mr Cisse.

"I heard children cry, families scream," he said, adding that his "neighbours lost children".

There were cracks in the walls, rats and mice. We were very badly housed Oumar Cisse building caretaker

At least 17 people - including six children - were killed and about 30 others were injured in the incident.

A fire brigade spokesman told reporters that the stairwell in the overcrowded building "was immediately burnt out, that's why the people took to the windows".

Another eyewitness said he saw flames engulfing the building between the third and fifth storeys.

"I came to get news of my cousins, a couple and two children who lived on the fourth floor," Mohammed Sisse told the AFP news agency.

"We haven't seen them leave, we are very worried," he said.

Most of the residents - mainly from Mali and Senegal - were sleeping when the fire started.

Terrified women and men - some carrying children in their arms - were rushed from the burning building by firefighters.

A boy - still in his pyjamas - was seen clutching a toy animal before being evacuated.

The building's residents were provided with blankets and escorted into a nearby caf� transformed into a temporary shelter.

Several witnesses described the 1920s building in south Paris as "very dirty" and in very poor condition.

"There were cracks in the walls, rats and mice," Mr Cisse said.

"We were very badly housed, we had been waiting for new homes since 1991."