People may be trapped under the rubble but rescue efforts are being hampered by fire, the mayor of Marseilles says
At least five people were injured after a four-story residential building collapsed and caused a major fire in the French port city of Marseilles, Mayor Benoit Payan has said. Locals told the media that they heard a “huge explosion” in the area overnight.
The building in the central district, known for its bar and restaurants, collapsed around 12:40am local time on Sunday, according to the mayor.
Five people sustained injuries in two neighboring properties, which were also damaged in the incident, Payan said. Residents have been evacuated from a number of houses in the vicinity, he added.
It remains unclear how many people were inside the building when it collapsed. “We have to be prepared to have victims in this terrible tragedy,” the mayor said, adding that people may be trapped under the rubble.
More than 100 firefighters have been deployed to tackle the blaze, which is seriously complicating rescue efforts, according to BFMTV.
“We’re trying to speed up the [operation] because time is of the essence,” but search dogs can’t work in such heat, the commander of the Marseille marine firefighters Lionel Mathieu said.
An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the collapse. Regional prefect Christophe Mirmand told AFP there were “strong suspicions” that the incident had been the result of a gas leak.
The affected building was in good condition and “there was no danger code” for it, he noted.
One local resident told the media that he had heard “a huge explosion,” while another added that “everything shook” when the building collapsed.
Another major building collapsed in Marseilles in 2018, when two dilapidated homes in the working-class district of Noailles were destroyed, killing eight people.
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