France: 4 bodies found, 4 missing after Marseille building collapse
- Investigators are looking at possibility explosion was caused by a gas leak; 30 buildings were evacuated
- Fire has complicated rescue efforts, with intense heat preventing search dogs from picking through rubble
Rescuers on Monday recovered a fourth body from the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in France’s Marseille, a cabinet minister said, as firefighters raced against the clock to find four people still missing.
More than 24 hours after a suspected explosion at the building, where residents reported a strong smell of gas, dozens of civil defence staff and sniffer dogs worked among the debris as a fire still smouldered.
“Four bodies have been found,” Housing Minister Olivier Klein said, at the site of the accident.
The deputy mayor of the Mediterranean port city, Yannick Ohanessian, said rescuers still had hope of finding survivors.
“Until the very end, we will believe it is possible, even if chances become slimmer with every passing hour,” he said.
Lionel Mathieu, the commander of the city’s fire department, said his team was waging a “battle against time”.