Ten feared trapped under rubble of collapsed apartment block in Marseille

Local mayor says ‘we have to be prepared to have fatalities in this terrible tragedy’

A residential building in France's port city of Marseille collapsed early on Sunday (AP)

Ten people are feared trapped under the rubble of a building that collapsed following a suspected explosion in the French city of Marseille.

Gerald Darmanin, the French interior minister, was unable to confirm if there were any fatalities or what triggered the “large blast”.

Five people were injured in the collapse at the five-storey block and taken to hospital, with 33 others moved by emergency services.

The explosion happened at around 12.40am on Sunday on rue Tivoli in the central La Plaine district, with locals reporting a loud bang.

“We have to be prepared to have fatalities in this terrible tragedy,” the Marseille mayor, Benoît Payan, told journalists.

More than 100 firefighters, aided by specialists, worked through the night to access and extinguish the fire, which the minister said was burning a few metres (feet) under the debris.

Some 30 buildings in the area were evacuated, Mr Darmanin said.

The building that collapsed is located on a narrow street in the centre of Marseille, adding to an array of difficulties for firefighters and rescue workers.

Emergency services at the scene (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

France Marseille Building Collapse (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The intense heat made it impossible to send in dog teams to search. Robots were reportedly being deployed.

Mr Payan said that two buildings that share walls with the one that collapsed were partially brought down before one later caved in. It was among the evacuated buildings

"We’re trying to drown the fire while preserving the lives of eventual victims under the rubble," Lionel Mathieu, commander of the Marseille fire brigade, said during a televised briefing.

"Firefighters are gauging minute by minute the best way to put out the fire," Mr Payan said. "We must prepare to have victims.”

An explosion was the "probable" cause of the building collapse, Mr Payan said, but later stressed that "no conclusions can be drawn" without an investigation.

The collapsed building is located in an old quarter in the centre of France’s second-largest city.

The noise from the explosion resounded in other neighbourhoods and nearby streets were blocked off.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne both tweeted their thoughts for people affected and thanks to the firefighters.

Mr Macron said his thoughts were with those affected by the incident and their loved ones.

He said “significant resources” had been deployed to help with the rescue operation and thanked firefighters and other emergency service crew for their work.