Marseille Mayor: "Fire in Accident Area Makes Site Access Difficult"
In the southern French city of Marseille, a multi-family residential building collapsed with an explosion sound in the middle of the night, injuring more than five people and leaving an estimated 10 others trapped under the debris.
Collapsed Four-Story Building in Marseille, France[Marseille AFP=Yonhap News] On the 9th (local time), a four-story building in Marseille, southern France, collapsed. Authorities reported that five people were injured in two nearby buildings due to the incident, and it is still unknown how many people were inside the collapsed building.
According to AFP and AP, around 12:40 a.m. local time on the 9th, a four-story building in the old town center of Marseille collapsed, causing the adjacent buildings on both sides to also collapse.
The Marseille city authorities stated that firefighters responding to the scene are facing difficulties accessing the site due to a fire that broke out during the building's collapse.
Aziz, a local resident who runs a grocery store nearby, told local media, "Everything was shaking, people were running away, and there was smoke everywhere."
More than five people inside the building were injured, and residents of about 30 surrounding buildings were evacuated.
G?rald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior, said, "Between 4 and 10 people are trapped under the building debris," adding, "It will take several hours, or possibly longer, to extinguish the fire."
Beno?t Payan, the mayor of Marseille, stated, "Two nearby buildings were also damaged during the collapse," and added, "There is a possibility that people are still inside the buildings, so firefighters are continuously assessing the best way to handle the situation."
The exact cause of the accident has not yet been determined, but witnesses nearby reported smelling gas before the building collapsed.
AFP reported that the search for missing persons is facing difficulties due to the fire at the accident site.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed condolences for the accident area on Twitter and thanked the firefighters and emergency responders.
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