Marseille Building Collapse: Death Toll Rises to 8

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Facts

• The death toll from a collapse of a residential building in the southern French city of Marseille on April 9 has risen to eight, as rescue teams found the bodies of the last two missing people on Wednesday.¹
• French authorities opened an investigation to find the cause of the explosion of the four-story apartment building as hundreds of rescuers continued searching the rubble four days after the blast.²
• At least five people from a neighboring building sustained minor injuries in the explosion. In addition, two nearby apartment blocks also collapsed later in the day without causing any casualties.³
• Dozens of firefighters battled the blaze, which disrupted search-and-rescue dogs from finding survivors.⁴
• Meanwhile, a fund of €100K ($110K) has been provided to help the victims of the explosion.⁵
• Eight people were also killed after two dilapidated buildings in the center of Marseille collapsed in 2018. French authorities said those buildings were poorly maintained, unlike the building that collapsed on Sunday.⁶

Sources: ¹France 24 (a), ²Guardian, ³BBC News, ⁴France 24 (b), ⁵CNN and ⁶New York Times.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Le monde.fr. Very sadly, France has learned nothing from the 2018 disaster. Housing standards in Marseille have stayed the same as 40K residents continue to live in shoddy structures. The latest collapse casts a harsh light on the city's poorly-built homes.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Rfi. It's too early to jump to conclusions. Potential factors could include faulty wiring, criminal intent, or gas leak. The nation is in mourning right now, and the focus must remain on helping survivors and relocating the displaced residents instead of casting blame. Due process will ultimately yield the truth.