In Marseille, 3 bodies found under the rubble, research continues

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Relief workers are working on Monday, November 5, to try to find any survivors in the rubble of buildings in the Noailles district in Marseille. HO, Loic AEDO / BMPM / SM Aedo / AFP

More than 24 hours after the collapse of several dilapidated buildings in the center of Marseille, three bodies were found Tuesday, November 6, in the rubble, where the relief still kept a " weak hope " to find survivors.

A body early in the morning, that of a man, then that of a woman at midday and a third soon after, were found Tuesday in the ruins of the three collapsed buildings yesterday rue d'Aubagne, in the center from Marseille. In the perimeter of the disaster, orange helmet on the head, mask on the mouth for some and marine suit stained with dust, a dozen rescuers made Tuesday a human chain to remove the debris, stone after stone. In total, more than 120 firefighters and firefighters are hard at work to search the pile of rubble from a depth of 15 meters. Below, according to the authorities, there may still be a few people left.

It's a race against the clock that has been engaged in trying to rescue potential survivors, while the heavy rain of the last few hours makes the excavation work more difficult. The gravels are dense and numerous, it remains " a week of work day and night, " according to Commander Samuel Champon, commander of the relief operations.

Heavy rains and notorious insalubrity

After the collapse of the two dilapidated buildings on Monday morning, followed by the partial collapse of a third adjoining building at the end of the day, relief attempts to find 5 inhabitants of the number 65 rue d'Aubagne missing the call, as well as 3 people who could have been invited into the building. The other two buildings were walled up and - theoretically - uninhabited.

At number 65, 9 apartments out of 10 were however inhabited, above a vacant ground floor. In joint ownership, it had been the subject October 18 " of an expertise of the competent services which had given place to the work of comforting allowing the reintegration of the occupants ", according to the town hall. The third building, at number 67, was abandoned and walled since the summer of 2012.

" This dramatic accident could be due to heavy rains that have fallen on Marseille in recent days, " according to the town hall, which evacuated and relocated 100 residents of buildings nearby. But several representatives of the opposition made the link with the extent of the problem of unworthy housing in Marseille, especially in the center.

■ Unhealthy housing in Marseille: "maddening" figures according to Fondation Abbé-Pierre

The collapse of three dilapidated buildings in the center of the Phocean city revived the debate on unhealthy housing in Marseille. In the city, according to a report submitted to the government in 2015, " a potentially unworthy private park " presents " a risk to the health or safety of some 100,000 inhabitants ". 40,000 dwellings are involved, representing 13% of the main residences.

" Frightening " figures, according to the Fondation Abbé Pierre (Fap). These proportions are not seen elsewhere in France, "says Florent Houdmon, Regional Director of FAP. " It's the result of decades of public inaction ." Unworthy housing refers to dangerous housing, in buildings threatening to collapse, but also unhealthy housing, which can affect the health of residents.

For the Fap, the sudden collapse of these buildings in Noailles, a popular and mixed neighborhood close to the Old Port, is in direct connection with " the total failure, as of the tracking, of the public authorities ".

" The situation of the two collapsed buildings was known to everyone ," says Patrick Lacoste, spokesperson for the residents' association A City Center for All. Oscillating between anger and emotion, he laments " people dead for nothing, while we knew ." " At the town hall, they have been in power for 25 years and they leave rotting buildings on foot, they are not interested in the population of Noailles and do not want social housing in the center, " he accuses.

(with AFP)