A woman has admitted to French authorities that she caused the deadly fire in a Paris hotel last week although she claims the fire was started accidentally.

The woman has been identified as the girlfriend of one of the hotel's night watchmen. Her identity has not been released to the public. She has not given the police any details as to how the fire specifically started.

The death toll from the fire at the Paris Opera hotel rose to 23 today when one of the men seriously injured in the blaze died in a Paris hospital.

After a preliminary investigation, authorities believe Friday's fire was believed to have started in a breakfast room.

The hotel is used by social services in Paris to house people who are waiting to receive subsidized housing from the government. Officials say the hotel was overcrowded. Although the 32 room structure was meant to house 61 people, at least 90 people were living there. Many of the residents were immigrants from Africa.

In response to the deadly blaze, Paris city officials plan on finding ways to more strictly enforce fire safety regulations.