“We heard a huge noise”: a three-story building collapses in the middle of the night in the center of Toulouse

Un immeuble de trois étages s'est effondré à quelques pas de la place du Capitole, à Toulouse. CAPTURE ECRAN – X VIA OCCITANIE

On the night of Friday March 8 to Saturday March 9, 2024, a three-story building collapsed a few steps from Place du Capitole, in Toulouse. If no casualties appear to be reported, searches are currently underway in the rubble.

The scene occurred in rue Saint-Rome, a shopping street in downtown Toulouse, on the night of Friday March 8 to Saturday March 9, 2024. A three-story building appeared ;#39;collapsed, in the middle of the night, according to information from La Dépêche.

Un immeuble s’est effondré rue saint-Rome à #Toulouse
Un périmètre de sécurité a été mis en place pic.twitter.com/F9zsBgpiH9

— viàOccitanie (@viaOccitanieTV) March 9, 2024

"I was very scared"

The Toulouse town hall issued a danger order on this building this Wednesday, March 6, 2024. The building, which has 9 housing units and two businesses, was evacuated that same day, reports La Dépêche.

"We heard a huge noise (…) I was very scared", confides a local resident, quoted by our colleagues. The man also describes that "thick smoke" filled the street.

Le toit d'un immeuble s'effondre dans le centre de #Toulouse https://t.co/w4C74vnQDm pic.twitter.com/nGKeldBbDx

— La Dépêche du Midi (@ladepechedumidi) November 29, 2019

Impressive damage

Although the damage is impressive, no casualties appear to be reported. Several teams of firefighters, Smur, and police are exploring the area. In total, 50 firefighters, as well as a dog team, were deployed.

Street closed to the public

The entire perimeter has been cordoned off and Rue Saint-Rome is closed to the public. Around twenty residents of neighboring buildings were evacuated and had to be relocated for the night, according to La Dépêche.