Two buildings collapsed in the center of the northern French city of Lille. Victims were initially not discovered. An extensive rescue operation is currently underway and the situation is still under investigation, the fire service said Saturday morning.
The newspaper “La Voix du Nord” reported that there had been renovation work in one of the two adjacent buildings not far from the historic main square. A newspaper photographer witnessed the collapse on his way to the newsroom. First stones broke from the facade and then the buildings collapsed. A neighboring hotel was evacuated.
Residents noticed cracks
The collapse took place around 9:15 a.m. in the street, which is heavily frequented by shopping tourists, especially on weekends. Residents of one of the buildings had already been evacuated overnight after a resident who came home late noticed cracks, the newspaper reports.
After the collapse, the area was cordoned off over a large area. Rescuers were deployed to the ruins with sniffer dogs and special equipment, the fire service said. The helpers came with a total of 48 vehicles. (SDA)
Source: Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
