At least seven people have died in a fire in southern France.
France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin wrote on Twitter on Monday.
The fire broke out after an explosion in a shop in the municipality of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque on Monday night, the local fire department wrote on Facebook.
The flames would have spread to the apartments above.
The cause of the explosion in the Mediterranean town was therefore unclear.
The fire department could not immediately be reached for questions.
Two children are said to be among the dead, France Info reported.
In addition, there are several injured, at least eleven apartments were destroyed in the explosion.
Interior Minister Darmanin also announced that he wanted to drive to the scene of the accident and support the emergency services and the residents.
"My thoughts are with the victims and their families," he wrote.
Around 10,000 people live in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque, which is 15 kilometers from Perpignan.