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Marseille building collapses with eight people unaccounted for Two bodies found after Marseille building destroyed in explosion
(about 11 hours later)
On Sunday night, heat and rubble were still hindering the search for survivorsOn Sunday night, heat and rubble were still hindering the search for survivors
Five people were injured and eight are unaccounted for after an explosion flattened an apartment building in the southern French city of Marseille. Two bodies have been found after an explosion flattened a four-storey apartment building in the southern French city of Marseille.
The cause of the explosion is not yet known. It destroyed the building shortly after midnight on Sunday, and a neighbouring block of flats partly collapsed a few hours later. Local authorities said six people remained unaccounted for and that rescue efforts were ongoing.
Benoit Payan, the city's mayor, said it was likely that people had died. The blast occurred in the La Plaine neighbourhood at 00:49 local time on Sunday (23:49 BST on Saturday).
Almost 200 people were evacuated from nearby buildings. The cause remains unclear, but investigators are looking into the possibility of a gas leak.
More than 100 firefighters were sent to tame the flames that followed the blast. The fire burned throughout most of Sunday, and authorities warned the blaze could continue for hours - although on Sunday evening it showed signs of abating. Five people from neighbouring buildings sustained minor injuries in the explosion and around 200 people had to be evacuated from their homes. Two nearby blocks partially collapsed a few hours later without causing any additional injuries.
The fire hindered the search for the missing people, which the city's prosecutors said included a "young couple" and "people of a certain age". Around 100 firefighters attended the scene to tackle a blaze that burned under the rubble throughout Sunday.
The intense heat and dust has prevented search dogs from picking through the rubble. The fire hampered progress and made it difficult for rescuers to deploy sniffer dogs, although authorities said on Sunday evening that the blaze was showing signs of abating.
Mr Payan said that "we have to be prepared to have victims", and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who travelled to the city on Sunday, told media he didn't know whether those missing were alive or dead. The building is believed to have had one apartment on each storey, and city officials said earlier that the people missing included a "young couple".
Local prosecutor Dominique Laurens confirmed to reporters that eight people "were not responding to phone calls", adding that it was impossible so far to identify the cause of the collapse. Rescue operations continued into the early hours of Monday with the help of a crane and lights.
However, authorities have said a gas leak is likely. In a brief statement announcing the discovery of the bodies, the fire department said that "given the difficulties of intervention, the extraction [of the bodies from the site] will take time".
A local gymnasium and two schools have been opened to accommodate the people who have had to leave their homes. Psychological support is also being offered.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter that he was "thinking of those affected and their loved ones" and thanked the emergency workers for their efforts.
Mayor of Marseille Benoît Payan said rescuers remained "determined" to find people alive. "Hope must hold us," he said.
'Unlike anything I've ever heard''Unlike anything I've ever heard'
One local told French media that they heard an explosion "unlike anything I've ever heard".One local told French media that they heard an explosion "unlike anything I've ever heard".
Some said they heard the ground shake and that they could smell gas in the air. Speaking to the AFP news agency, Saveria Mosnier, who lives nearby, said: "I was sleeping and there was this huge blast that really shook the room. I was shocked awake as if I had been dreaming."
Christophe Mirmand, a local authority leader in the Bouches-du-Rhone region, said: "There was no danger notice for this building, and it is not in a neighbourhood identified as having substandard housing." She added that "we very quickly smelled a strong gas odour that hung around. We could still smell it this morning".
In 2018, two houses collapsed in rue d'Aubagne, near Marseille's historic port, killing eight people. The disaster exposed the city's long-standing housing problem and shocked France. Deputy Mayor Yannick Ohanessian told reporters at the scene that "several witnesses have reached us this morning to say there was a suspicious smell of gas".
On Sunday Mr Payan said that this weekend's incident was not caused by structural problems in buildings and as such has "nothing to do with rue d'Aubagne". Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin visited the scene on Sunday and Housing Minister Olivier Klein is due to visit on Monday.
In 2018, housing standards in Marseille came under scrutiny after two dilapidated buildings in the working class district of Noailles collapsed, killing eight people.
Following that incident, charities estimated that 40,000 people in the city were living in poorly-built homes, but on Sunday officials appeared to rule out structural issues as a cause of the latest collapse.
Christophe Mirmand, a local authority leader in the Bouches-du-Rhone region, said there was no danger notice on the building and that it was not in a neighbourhood identified as having substandard housing. The comments were echoed by Mr Payan.
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Emmanuel Macron