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Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan stated two neighboring buildings have been partially introduced down and one was in peril of collapsing, making a double problem.
“Firefighters are gauging minute by minute one of the simplest ways to place out the fireplace,” the mayor stated at a televised briefing.
“The lives of firefighters are additionally at play,” he stated.
The noise from the explosion shortly earlier than 1 a.m., resounded in different neighborhoods. Close by streets have been blocked off.
Residents of neighboring buildings have been evacuated and 6 have been hospitalized, Payan stated.
The collapsed constructing is situated in an outdated quarter within the heart of France’s second-largest metropolis.
“We’re attempting to drown the fireplace whereas preserving the lives of eventual victims beneath the rubble,” stated Lionel Mathieu, commander of the Marseille hearth brigade. The extraordinary warmth made it not possible to ship in canine groups to look, he added.
The mayor stated that an explosion was the “possible” reason behind the constructing collapse, however harassed that an investigation would in the end decide the trigger.
“We should put together to have victims,” Payan stated grimly.
Inside Minister Gerald Darmanin was anticipated on the scene later Sunday.
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