Residents are believed to be buried underneath the rubble, as firefighters work to extinguish flames following an explosion.

Eight individuals are not responding to calls and are considered underneath the rubble of two buildings which have collapsed in an explosion close to the port within the southern French metropolis of Marseille, native officers have stated.

Greater than 100 firefighters labored in opposition to a ticking clock to extinguish flames deep inside the rubble of the five-storey constructing, however greater than 17 hours later “the scenario will not be but stabilised,” Marseille Prosecutor Dominique Laurens stated at a night information convention on Sunday.

The collapse brought about a fireplace that has difficult rescue efforts and investigations, and it has not been introduced underneath management, she advised a information convention.

Laurens stated police have but to verify the obvious disappearance of a ninth one that lived in a next-door constructing. 5 folks suffered minor accidents from the collapse, which occurred shortly earlier than 1am (22:00 GMT).

Laurens stated the reason for the explosion was not but identified.

Tv footage confirmed clouds of smoke rising from the rubble as firefighters tried to place out the hearth, whereas skilled canines had been used to attempt to find victims.

“We’ve nothing, not even an ID card. We’ve misplaced every thing,” stated a person who gave his title solely as Roland, in an interview with native newspaper La Provence.

He managed to get out of the constructing on 15 Rue de Tivoli together with his spouse and two kids earlier than it collapsed, along with a neighbouring constructing. A 3rd constructing partly collapsed.

Inside Minister Gerald Darmanin, who visited the positioning, stated 30 buildings within the space had been evacuated.

Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan stated two buildings that share partitions with the one which collapsed had been partially introduced down earlier than one later caved in, one other complication within the search-and-rescue operation. The buildings had been among the many evacuated buildings.

Drones and probes have been used to look at the scene for indicators of life. The burning particles was too sizzling for canines within the firefighters’ canine group to work till Sunday afternoon, although smoke nonetheless bothered them, the prosecutor stated.

“We can’t intervene in a really basic means,” Darmanin stated throughout a morning go to to the positioning. He stated the hearth was burning a number of metres underneath the mounds of particles and that each water and foam symbolize a hazard to victims’ survival.

An investigation has been opened for involuntary damage, a minimum of initially sidestepping doable prison intentions. A gasoline explosion was among the many tracks to verify, stated Laurens, the prosecutor. However the begin of the probe additionally was restricted by the warmth of the blaze.

Firefighters, with the assistance of city rescue consultants, labored by means of the night time and all day Sunday in a sluggish race in opposition to time. The fragile operation aimed to maintain firefighters secure, stop additional hurt to folks probably trapped within the rubble and never compromise susceptible buildings close by, already partially collapsed.

Laurens, the prosecutor, stated that firefighters “are actually in a sophisticated scenario, harmful for them”. Work is progressing however with security precautions, she stated.

“We heard an explosion … a really sturdy explosion which made us bounce, and that’s it,” stated Marie Ciret, who was amongst these evacuated. “We appeared exterior the window at what was taking place. We noticed smoke, stones, and folks operating.”

The constructing that collapsed is positioned on a slim avenue lower than a kilometre (a half-mile) from Marseille’s iconic previous port, including to an array of difficulties for firefighters and rescue employees.