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

Eight persons are not responding to calls and are regarded as 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 mentioned.

Greater than 100 firefighters labored towards a ticking clock to extinguish flames deep throughout the rubble of the five-storey constructing, however greater than 17 hours later “the state of affairs is just not but stabilised,” Marseille Prosecutor Dominique Laurens mentioned at a night information convention on Sunday.

The collapse triggered a fireplace that has sophisticated rescue efforts and investigations, and it has not been introduced underneath management, she instructed a information convention.

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

Laurens mentioned the reason for the explosion was not but recognized.

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

“We now have nothing, not even an ID card. We now have misplaced the whole lot,” mentioned 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 location, mentioned 30 buildings within the space had been evacuated.

Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan mentioned 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 constructions.

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

“We can not intervene in a really traditional manner,” Darmanin mentioned throughout a morning go to to the location. He mentioned the fireplace was burning a couple 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, at the very least initially sidestepping potential prison intentions. A fuel explosion was among the many tracks to test, mentioned 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 specialists, labored via the night time and all day Sunday in a sluggish race towards time. The fragile operation aimed to maintain firefighters secure, stop additional hurt to individuals probably trapped within the rubble and never compromise susceptible buildings close by, already partially collapsed.

Laurens, the prosecutor, mentioned that firefighters “are actually in an advanced state of affairs, harmful for them”. Work is progressing however with security precautions, she mentioned.

“We heard an explosion … a really robust explosion which made us bounce, and that’s it,” mentioned Marie Ciret, who was amongst these evacuated. “We seemed exterior the window at what was occurring. We noticed smoke, stones, and other people operating.”

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