Four of the six bodies extracted from the collapse of a building in Marseille on Sunday have now been identified, a 74-year-old man and his wife of the same age, as well as two women aged 65 and 88, the Marseille prosecutor announced, this Tuesday, April 11.
The identification cells succeeded in establishing correspondences with four bodies extracted from the rubble of 17 rue de Tivoli thanks to DNA, hair and dental elements. “ Families have been informed “, said prosecutor Dominique Laurens during a press conference.
Investigators are continuing their search to identify the two other bodies extracted on Monday by the firefighters, who are continuing their work to try to find the last two people still missing and a priori still under the rubble.
In his first press conference on Sunday, Dominique Laurens mentioned the presence in the building of “ a couple of young thirtysomethings “. According to the regional daily Provence, he lived on the second floor. “ Research is becoming more and more dangerous », specified Dominique Laurens and « the rubble continues to be excavated, but by hand “, due ” of a very significant danger to the stability of the building of 19 », which threatens to collapse.
Always the hypothesis of a gas explosion mentioned
On the origin of this tragedy, the Marseille prosecutor clarified that the investigators are still working ” on the assumption of a gas explosion “. But no conclusion has yet been able to be drawn on the cause of the violent explosion which blew up the building at 17 rue de Tivoli on Sunday at 00:46.
Only the apartments on the ground floor and the 1st floor were equipped with gas, according to the investigators. The second and third floors had been gas neutralized “Said Dominique Laurens, explaining that Dominique Vaccaro’s gas stove had recently been changed to an electric stove. The magistrate specified that Dominique Vaccaro’s gas meter had been found and sent to GRDF in order to verify a possible ” abnormal consumption in the 24 hours preceding the explosion “.
► To read also: Collapse of a building in Marseille: six bodies extracted from the rubble, the search continues
(With AFP)