BERLIN — A fire at a residential building in western Germany left three people dead and two others with life-threatening injuries Thursday, authorities said.

The blaze broke out during the night in a kiosk that was part of the building in Duesseldorf and spread to the entrance and second floor, the fire service said in a statement.

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Firefighters used ladders to rescue several people from balconies.

Sixteen people were taken to hospitals, the fire service said. The cause of the fire was unclear, according to police.