Rescuers find two bodies in French building collapse

Two bodies have been found in the rubble of a building that collapsed in Marseille following a major explosion, French authorities said, as rescue workers scrambled to find at least six people still unaccounted for.

"Given the particular difficulties of intervention, the extraction (of the bodies from the site) will take time," the fire department in a brief statement announcing the bodies had been found, TRT World reports.

"The judicial authority will then proceed to identify" the victims, it added.

The discovery of the bodies came about 24 hours after the blast brought down the four-storey building in the Mediterranean port city.

Emergency workers had continued rescue operations through April 9 night into the early hours of the next day with the help of a crane and lights, but a persistent fire underneath the rubble hampered their work, making it difficult for firefighters to deploy sniffer dogs.

Before the discovery of the bodies, local prosecutor Dominique Laurens told reporters that eight people "were not responding to phone calls".

Five people from neighbouring buildings sustained minor injuries in the blast and collapse, which occurred around 12:40 am on April 9 (2240 GMT).

"Tonight, the pain and sorrow are great," said Marseille mayor Benoit Payan in a statement.

"All services of the city, as well as the state, are still at this very moment fully committed to continue the search," he added.