However, a fire several meters below the rubble made the rescue work considerably more difficult. France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Sunday in the southern French port city: “We think that between four and ten people are under the rubble.” About 30 houses were evacuated to be on the safe side.
No sign of residents
“Eight people lived in the building and it is these eight people that we currently have no news of,” said Marseille prosecutor Dominique Laurens on Sunday evening. People would not have answered calls. Relatives had contacted the authorities with concern.
According to initial information, at least five people were injured in the collapse. According to media reports, they were in a neighboring building. It is unclear exactly how many people were in the four-story house on Rue Tivoli in Marseille’s fifth arrondissement when it collapsed just following midnight. “Four people seem to have been in the building for sure,” said Darmanin, who traveled to the scene of the accident in the morning. “We don’t know if they are alive or dead.” Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan stressed that the search for possible survivors was the top priority.
Image: NICOLAS TUCAT (AFP)
Fire under the rubble
But the rescue work is proving difficult. Shortly following the collapse of the house, a fire ignited under the rubble, which was still burning on Sunday followingnoon. “We are facing a very rare phenomenon – a fire that has been going on for several hours with extremely high temperatures,” Mayor Payan said. Interior Minister Darmanin said debris covered virtually the entire fire. “You can’t do it in a very classic way, because if there are survivors, the water or the foam that firefighters use mustn’t, of course, prevent them from surviving.”
The fire is also a problem for the rescue dogs used. Because of the burning smell and the hot temperatures, they have not been able to search well for people who have been buried. The dogs initially found no human traces, Mayor Payan said. “That doesn’t mean anything. We can’t draw any conclusions from that at the moment.”
Explosion caused collapse
When it collapsed at night, parts of the two neighboring houses were also torn down. A few hours later, more parts of one of the two houses collapsed. The reason for the collapse was probably an explosion. “We cannot yet know today what caused this very large explosion,” said Interior Minister Darmanin. In any case, the house was not known to be in danger of collapsing.
The incident on Easter night and fears regarding possibly buried people caused horror in France. The broadcaster BFMTV showed visibly shocked residents who spoke of a loud bang and screams. French head of state Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter that he was moved and thinking of all those affected and their families. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne was also dismayed on Twitter.
