Body found in rubble of collapsed buildings

The body of a man has been found in the rubble of two buildings that collapsed in Marseille on Monday.

About 80 firefighters are combing through the debris by hand, as hopes for between five and eight people still missing following the collapse fade. Among the missing is a woman who had failed to collect her daughter from school and another woman who rarely left her home.

The two buildings collapsed at around 9am on Monday. The man's body was found early on Tuesday, according to officials, leaving between five and eight people unaccounted for.

Meanwhile, a political row is developing over the condition of the two buildings in the Noailles district, in the 1st arrondissement, which were said to be dilapidated. Authorities said one building had been condemned since 2008 and was unoccupied, but the other was inhabited.

Fire officers also had to demolish a third building which had been weakened by the collapse of the other two. It had been abandoned and walled-up since 2012.

Another 6,000 properties in Marseille are in a similar state, officials said, adding that the collapse could be due to heavy rain in the city over the past few days.