Marseille Mayhem: Two Buildings Collapse Overnight
What went down: Over the course of a single morning, two aging apartment blocks in central Marseille went belly‑up, leaving a tidal wave of rubble that jammed up foot traffic. Rescue teams spent the night combing rubble to find anyone trapped underneath.
Key Facts
- Collapse time: ~9 am local (about 4 pm Singapore time)
- Buildings: two adjoining, both near the city’s main thoroughfare
- Rubble: large piles of concrete and brick blocking the street, reminiscent of an earthquake aftermath
- Response: emergency crews and the city’s mayor on the scene, plus the national Housing Minister arriving from Paris
Official Remarks
Mayor Jean‑Claude Gaudin said, “What’s important is that we keep the death toll as low as possible, but we anticipate some casualties.” The Housing Minister, Julien Denormandie, described the rescue effort as a “race against the clock” to locate surviving residents.
Why It’s Shockingly Unusual
You’d think an earthquake would be the culprit, but for this, it was simply the structural age of the buildings. It’s a stark reminder that even in the heart of a bustling port city, old bricks can still be a ticking time bomb.
What’s Next?
Marseille’s emergency services are evaluating potential, unseen casualties and a thorough investigation is underway to determine why these structures failed. Residents are advised to keep clear of the main road until the city clears all debris and confirms the area is safe.
Marseille’s in‑the‑air disaster: Two buildings fall, a handful of folks hurt
Back on November 5, 2018, the little coastal city of Marseille saw a little routine day turn upside down when two aging buildings threw a surprise party for demolition—except it wasn’t a party at all.
The rumble in Noailles
- Two residents slid off the edge, with injuries that were “light” according to the local police.
- A squad of 100 rescue workers armed with sniffer dogs were on a relentless scavenger hunt through the rubble.
- A drone dutifully floated above, taking aerial shots of the chaos.
Picture that picturesque setting
Picture this: a stone’s throw away from Marseille’s bustling Old Port, the neighborhood of Noailles gets a bit stone‑tyred—literally. One had already been declared unsafe, windows boarded, and supposedly empty. The other? Well, might have had a secret life.
Neighbourhood whispers
- Djaffar Nour, on a quick grocery run, said the collapse was “a matter of seconds.”
- Nacer Sellani, shopkeeper across the street, recalled a lady from Comoros who had just finished dropping off her kids.
- And there were “two other people” spotted heading to a tenant’s apartment—unfortunately timed by a blockbuster.
What CCTV shows
Security footage gave us a glimpse of the last moment: two people strolling past just as the building decided to drop its final act.
In total, emergency crews evacuated dozens from nearby structures. Snapshots from Google Maps captured the – well, “cracked” faces of the two unfortunate giants.
In short? Two plots went down, at least two folks hit the floor, and the city had to tighten its safety net. Marseille learned the hard way that building history can be a biting plot twist.
‘HOMES OF THE POOR’
Marseille’s Midnight Rescue Mission: A Tale of Solidarity, Slum Landlords, and Political Drama
In a scene straight out of a cinematic thriller, French President Emmanuel Macron lauded Marseille’s ability to unite “the solidarity of the nation” while rescuers braved the night to pull people to safety. Who knew this coastal city had a secret superhero squad fighting fires at midnight?
The Unexpected Drama Behind Dark Skies
The incident, unlikely in a major Western metropolis, has opened the floodgates to a heated debate about the state of housing for Marseille’s most vulnerable. The area, dotted with shelves of crumbling buildings, partly owned by the infamous “slum landlords,” has become a hot spot for scrutiny.
Key Points from the Political Front
- Jean‑Luc Mélenchon, the charismatic leader of Ligue France Insoumise, pointed out that the plight of the poor is not accidental: “It’s the homes of the poor that are falling down, and that’s not a coincidence.”
- Last year, the city rolled out an ambitious upgrade plan, gearing up Marseille’s downtown for a new era of comfort and safety.
- But a 2015 government report revealed that roughly 100,000 residents roamed streets living in habitats that threatened both their health and their security.
What Does This Mean for Future Rescues?
While the heroic rescue efforts lifted a national spotlight, they also exposed the cracks in our housing infrastructure. It’s a sobering reminder that even in a city like Marseille, the safety net may be just a sheet that needs to be replaced before it’s too late. Until then, let’s hope the next “night‑time heroics” come with better roofs and fewer squeaking hinges.
