A wildfire near the southern French port city of Marseille has been brought under control, but has not been fully extinguished, officials said late Tuesday, after emergency crews battled the fast-moving blaze for hours.
During his visit to Marseille, France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said the rapid deployment of more than 800 firefighters and water-bombing aircraft prevented a major catastrophe. Around 400 tons of water were dropped from the air to contain the flames.
No fatalities have been reported so far, the minister said, but 110 people suffered minor injuries, including 31 firefighters and police officers. According to Retailleau, 63 residential buildings were damaged, 10 of which were completely burned out.
Roughly 400 residents were evacuated, including 71 people from a local retirement home. Firefighting efforts were expected to continue through the night.
The blaze was started by a car that caught fire on a motorway near Marseille. The flames spread to the surrounding countryside and, fanned by the wind, advanced towards France’s second-largest city.
Marseille’s airport, closed for several hours, resumed operations in the evening. However, France’s national rail operator SNCF said disruptions were expected to continue on Wednesday after long-distance train services to Marseille were suspended and the city’s main station, Saint-Charles, was closed due to the wildfire.