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Two bodies were found in the rubble of a building that collapsed in Marseille following a major explosion, French authorities said early Monday, as rescue workers scrambled to find at least six people still unaccounted for.
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The discovery of the bodies came about 24 hours after the blast brought down the four-storey building in the Mediterranean port city.
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Emergency workers had continued rescue operations through Sunday night into the early hours of Monday with the help of a crane and lights, but a persistent fire underneath the rubble hampered their work, making it difficult for firefighters to deploy sniffer dogs.
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Earlier on Sunday, before the discovery of the bodies, local prosecutor Dominique Laurens told reporters that eight people "were not responding to phone calls".
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Five people from neighbouring buildings sustained minor injuries in the blast and collapse, which occurred around 12:40 am on Sunday (2240 GMT Saturday).
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The cause of the explosion is still to be determined, but investigators are looking at the possibility it was the result of a gas leak.
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More than 100 firefighters were battling the blaze in the ruins of the building, which was believed to have one apartment on each floor.
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Emergency service personnel shine torches into the rubble at 'rue Tivoli' after a building collapsed in the street, in Marseille, southern France.
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Emergency service personnel look into the rubble at 'rue Tivoli' after a building collapsed in the street, in Marseille, southern France.
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Emergency services workers look on as an excavator moves rubble at 'rue Tivoli' after a building collapsed in the street, in Marseille.
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Firefighters work on the rubble at 'rue Tivoli' after a building collapsed in the street, in Marseill.
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