• One hundred firefighters are engaged in rescue operations in the rubble of the collapsed building in Marseille.
  • Eight people are missing under the rubble of number 17 Tivoli Street, blown by an explosion of unknown origin.
  • The rescuers were also without news of a ninth person, from a nearby building at 17.

"A long-term operation that should certainly last until next weekend." Commander Guy of the firefighters of the city of Marseille did not hide the immensity of the task that awaited him and his men when taking stock of the search and rescue operations that are carried out in the rubble of the collapsed buildings at 17 rue de Tivoli, in Marseille. A building blown by an "explosion" to the cause "still undetermined", said Dominique Laurens, the prosecutor of the republic.

Nine people "do not respond to calls" and are missing, said the authorities while the hundred firefighters engaged were still facing "a fire smouldering under the rubble," said the commander. "We are facing a twisted fire, which decreases, then grows, and the existence of dwellings in a state that does not allow us to guarantee 100% safety," continued Admiral Lionel. In this race against time, the firefighters play a precision score to control the fire: control its intensity to allow the men and dogs of the canine teams to engage on the ground, without however using huge quantities of water or chemicals that could "drown" possible survivors.

"Hope is there"

However, "hope is there, we are in action and as long as there is hope rescue operations will continue," said the admiral. Rescue operations that "will take several days" and continue already all night, "without lowering the device".

For now, and more than 20 hours after the disaster, rescuers had not yet "penetrated" the rubble. A crane was installed in the late morning to begin removing rubble. "A very meticulous job, because you first have to make sure that there is no one in it. We lift a bunch of rubble, we check that there is no one there. And then we start again, "summarizes Commander Guy. A clearing work carried out "alternately" with the sending of men on the ground "according to certain periods. We judge the moments when we can engage them, "says the admiral.

In this delicate field work, rescuers are assisted by "several drones to have a precise vision" of the disaster. The images are carefully dissected so that firefighters can assess how they can "tackle" the rubble. Search robots are also ready to be deployed, but firefighters have not yet had the use of them. Unlike the four dogs mobilized which, when the fire loses intensity, can come into action. "The dogs are combing the area," confirmed Commander Guy, although they had, at the time of writing, not yet "marked" victims.

Control fire intensity

In this race against time, however, every moment brings firefighters closer to the moment when they could pull out of the rubble of possible miracles. "We are gradually moving towards a better control of the terrain and therefore the possibility of finding victims under the rubble," the admiral wanted to be positive. Among the nine litters sought, "they are people of a certain age and a young couple in their thirties. According to the information transmitted, there are no children or minors, "said the prosecutor.

Thirty-three buildings in the expanded perimeter set up by firefighters were evacuated. "The buildings in the neighborhood were in pretty good condition, but they suffered," commented Commendant Guy. Nearly 200 people were displaced. Three-quarters were accommodated by relatives while 50 were sheltered in hotels in the city. Accompanied by firefighters or police, they could trickle by their homes to retrieve some personal belongings or pets before leaving, without knowing when they would return.

  • Miscellaneous facts Marseille
  • Collapsed buildings in Marseille
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