Status: 09/04/2023 11:01 AM
A building collapsed in the center of the French port city of Marseille. At least five people were injured. It is still not clear if there have been deaths. Rescue work was hampered by a rubble fire.
At least five people were injured when a building collapsed in downtown Marseille. “We must prepare for the fact that there will be fatalities in this terrible tragedy,” said Benoît Bayan, the mayor of the French city. Two adjacent buildings have partially collapsed, one of which could still collapse.
The fire that broke out under the rubble is still hampering rescue efforts. The fire department said more than 100 emergency services tried to put out the flames while protecting people who may have been trapped under the rubble. Because of the extreme heat, tracking dogs cannot be used to search for people.
Eyewitnesses reported an explosion
The four-storey house collapsed in central Marseille around 12:40 am. The surrounding streets were closed Sunday morning, and many emergency services were on site.
The reason is still not clear. The region’s governor, Christophe Mirmand, said a gas explosion may have caused the collapse.
According to local media, witnesses reported an explosion, “everything shuddered”. “We saw people running, there was smoke everywhere, and the building fell into the street,” said a man who said he ran a shop late at night on the street.
More than a hundred emergency services have been trying to put out the flames under the rubble since the night.
Photo: AFP
Bringing 80 people to safety
According to information received from the fire department, about 80 people have been brought to safety. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin expressed his support for the emergency services. He is expected to arrive in the southern French port city during the day, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced on Twitter.
There is no sign of ruin
In November 2018, eight people died when two buildings collapsed in Marseille. Both homes were in dire need of renovation.
According to the mayor and the governor, the building, which has now collapsed, showed no signs of ruin. “We’re not dealing with a poor housing street here,” said Mayor Bayan.
