Marseille building collapse: As many as 10 people believed to be trapped under rubble

As many as 10 people are thought to be trapped under the rubble after an explosion caused the collapse of two residential buildings in Marseille, France on Sunday, officials said.

The collapse caused a fire that France’s interior minister said was complicating rescue efforts. The cause of the explosion is not yet known.

“It is very hard to access it because the rubble is blocking access to the fire, and of course we need to get rid of some of the rubble for the safety of the rescuers in order to intervene. We can’t do this in a normal way because, were there survivors, we wouldn’t want the water or the foam to prevent them from surviving,” French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.

Five people were taken to hospital with serious injuries, while a third person was treated for shock. A third building partially collapsed and at least 30 buildings in the area had to be evacuated.

The buildings that collapsed were not known to have any structural problems, Darmanin said.

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