Three people were injured, one of them “seriously” after the collapse, for an unknown reason, of two buildings in the center of Bordeaux (southwestern France), on Sunday night to Monday, became known today by firefighters and the municipal authority.
“The façade fell on the road, there is a big hole,” Girond Arno Mendous, a spokesman for the fire department, told AFP.
Firefighters were called around 00.30 local time for the collapse of the two three-storey buildings in the city center.
At the time of the collapse, the first building was empty of occupants, as work was underway on it, the second housed nine people, according to Mendous.
Among the victims, a 28-year-old man was “seriously” injured. A 48-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were removed from the scene with less serious injuries, the spokesman added.
Six other people, who were not injured, were evacuated by air.
“This is a final report, there are no dead,” said the official.
According to a neighbor, “around 00.30, a big noise was heard and we felt a small vibration at the end”. “I came down, it was impressive,” added Patrick Calafato, adding that the disaster occurred before heavy rain, which hit the city at night.
The road was full of debris, said a French Agency journalist, who was at the scene. Around the perimeter, about a dozen buildings were evacuated.
According to a local official, Amin Smihi, “it is still too early” to determine the cause of the disaster. “Is it due to the work that was done or the weather? “We do not know at the moment,” he said.
