A man has been found dead in the rubble of a collapsed building in southern France, firefighters told the AFP news agency.
The three-story residential block came crashing down overnight in the coastal town of Sanary-sur-Mer near Toulon.
Earlier, a woman and her baby — thought to be 18 months old — were pulled out alive and have been hospitalised. Three other people also suffered minor injuries.
Fire crews are continuing the search for two people believed to be still trapped in the rubble.
The blast — thought to be as a result of a gas problem — took place around 3:50 am and was heard for miles around.
“The causes are not known at the moment,” said the local fire brigade and the Var prefecture.
“There was a smell of gas [when we arrived at the scene] but we can’t say more because there is a police investigation underway.”
The last deadliest building collapse in southeastern France occurred in Marseille in November 2018, when two buildings collapsed in the city centre, killing eight people.
