Eight persons are feared to be trapped below the rubble of two buildings that collapsed following an explosion within the south of France.

TV footage confirmed clouds of smoke rising from the ruins as firefighters tried to douse the flames in Marseille.

Sniffer canine are looking for victims.

The reason for the explosion isn’t but recognized, mentioned Marseille prosecutor Dominique Laurens.

The collapse of the buildings induced a fireplace that has sophisticated the rescue effort, Ms Laurens advised reporters.

Five individuals had been taken to hospital with severe however not life-threatening accidents.

A person who gave his identify solely as Roland mentioned survivors had “lost everything”.

“We have nothing, not even an ID card,” he advised native newspaper La Provence.

He managed to get out of the constructing at 15 Rue de Tivoli together with his spouse and two youngsters earlier than it collapsed together with a neighbouring one.

There was additionally a partial collapse of a 3rd constructing.

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In complete, 30 buildings within the space had been evacuated, mentioned Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who visited the positioning.

“Thoughts are with Marseille,” President Emmanuel Macron tweeted.

In 2018, a few kilometre from the collapses, three buildings thought-about not match for habitation additionally collapsed,
killing eight individuals.

The mayor of Marseille mentioned a parallel couldn’t be drawn between the 2 occasions, whereas the prosecutor mentioned the buildings that collapsed on Sunday weren’t recognized to have any structural issues.