Blast levels French building; at least 1 dead, baby found

3 yıl önce

PARIS â French rescue workers dug out the body of a man but rescued his baby and the childâs mother alive from the rubble of a three-story apartment building that collapsed Tuesday in a suspected gas explosion on southern Franceâs Mediterranean coast. Two other people are missing.

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The baby, around 10 months old, was located by sniffer dogs and extracted by rescue workers who dug their way through the giant pile of debris, fire department Capt. Aurelia Mannaioni said. The top regional government official said rescue workers were also led to the babyâs location by its cries. The babyâs father was found dead by its side.

The child was sent to a hospital for treatment of injuries, Mannaioni said. The childâs mother also was rescued and was hospitalized in serious condition, she said.

The body of a man in his 30s was found in the rubble, Mannaioni said. He was the father of the rescued child, she said.

Searches were continuing for two other people unaccounted-for in the overnight blast in the coastal town of Sanary-sur-Mer, Mannaioni said.

The cause of the explosion wasnât immediately clear, but regional authorities said first responders noticed a strong smell of gas on arrival at the scene.

The top government official for southern Franceâs Var region, Prefect Evence Richard, said the babyâs cries and sniffer dogs helped pinpoint its location in the rubble.

âAt certain moments, the child started crying.â he said. âThat allowed for an initial localization, which the dogs confirmed.â

Regional fire department chief Col. Eric Grohin said the fatherâs body was found alongside his child. Firefighters first dug out the mother and then the child, Grohin said.

âWe created a sort of gallery,â he said. âWe managed to bring out the child, who was conscious.â