A firefighter uses a sniffer dog to search for possible trapped people in the debris of a collapsed building in Marseille, southern France. Photo / AP
Two buildings collapsed into a pile of rubble and beams in the French city of Marseille, where authorities spoke of a race against time to find people possibly trapped in the ruins.
The buildings — one condemned and supposedly vacant, the other containing apartments — gave way after 9 am
local time. In the spot where they had stood, a large gap appeared once the dust and debris settled.
Marseille fire services said two people who were in the street when the buildings collapsed were treated for light injuries. French President Emmanuel Macron said today it was unknown if anyone was killed or trapped.
Fire officials deliberately brought down most of a third building due to concerns the unstable structure might cave on top of search crews and sniffer dogs combing the rubble of the other buildings. The demolition released more dust clouds.
Authorities said one building had been condemned as substandard and was assumed to be unoccupied, but the other was inhabited. The Government's Housing Minister, Julien Denormandie, said at the scene he couldn't rule out that people were trapped in the collapse.
