Five injured in building collapse in Marseille

Marseille city center

According to Mayor Benoît Payan, people could still be under the rubble.

(Photo: dpa)

Marseilles Five people were injured when a building collapsed in downtown Marseille on Sunday night. There could still be people alive under the rubble, but there could also be fatalities, said Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan on Sunday morning. A fire had started under the rubble.

This complicates the rescue work. It is not yet known exactly what happened, but there must have been an explosion, Payan said.

During the night, a house collapsed on Rue Tivoli in Marseille’s fifth arrondissement. According to reports, parts of neighboring houses also collapsed. According to information from the fire department, about 80 people were brought to safety.

French head of state Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter that he was thinking of all those affected and their families. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin expressed his support for the emergency services. He is expected in the southern French port city during the day, as Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne announced on Twitter.

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