It was during the afternoon that a suspected explosion precipitated the collapse on a street in the La Plaine district. Adjacent buildings were damaged in connection with the landslide and five people were injured. A further 33 people were taken care of by emergency personnel.
– I was sleeping when a huge explosion really shook the room, says Saveria Mosnier, who lives on a nearby street, to The Guardian.
Eight properties cannot be reached
A fire that started in connection with the incident made the search for the missing more difficult.
– Eight people do not respond when we try to reach them, says prosecutor Dominique Laurens in a press statement.
Authorities have not yet discovered the cause of the “very loud bang” that triggered the collapse, says Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
