At least seven people have died after an explosion followed by a fire in southwestern France.
Two children were among those killed, while four others have reportedly been injured.
The explosion happened at around 1.30am on Sunday night in the main street of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque, a town in the Pyrénées-Orientales region. French interior minister Gerald Darmanin will travel to the scene on Monday afternoon.
He tweeted: “I give my full support to the emergency services and to those affected. Thoughts to the victims and their loved ones.”
Images shared by police showed a building completely charred and firefighters attempting to rescue inhabitants from the rubble. More than 20 people had been rescued by Monday morning and at least 11 apartments were affected, authorities said.
Local resident Christelle, who lives around 100m away from the property, told l’Independant newspaper: “The explosion shook me in my bed.
“My daughter came to me saying, ‘There’s a fire!’ Everything had exploded, people were running and shouting in the street.
“It shocked us a lot, it has never happened in our little village. You never see this kind of thing except on TV.”
The town’s mayor Alain Got said: “When I went to the scene there was smoke everywhere.
“We are still not sure about the cause of the incident. We have watched the cameras of the town but it’s difficult to say.”
A spokesperson for the local police said: “As well as the shop, around 11 flats were affected by the blast, and a number of floors collapsed.”
Perpignan prosecutor Jean-David Cavaille said it's too early to know what caused the explosion but he mentioned the possibility that gas cylinders may have been present in the shop. An investigation is already underway.
Minister Olivier Dusspot said: “Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.
“The state is on their side.”
