Two kids are lifeless and at the very least 4 injured after ‘fuel explosion’ at condominium constructing in France

Two children have died, and at least four were injured after an alleged gas explosion at an apartment building in France.

The children, aged three and five, reportedly died of cardiac arrest during the blast on Monday, which has also left others trapped beneath the rubble.

‘A woman with three children was at home when it exploded; she doesn’t know why,’ Philippe Berthaud, deputy mayor for housing, said. 

‘She and her eldest son survived, but her two children are in critical condition.’ 

Emergency services rushed to the scene in Trévoux after the explosion occurred at around 5.30pm, La Voix de L’Ain reported.

The massive explosion is said to have taken place on the ground floor of a four-storey apartment building.

Pieces of debris are said to have smashed into at least two nearby schools and shattered several windows, but no injuries were reported.

The bang was reportedly heard up to five kilometres away.

Local authorities said: ’50 firefighters and 36 vehicles, as well as medical personnel, have been mobilized to assist the victims.

Emergency services rushed to the scene in Trévoux after the explosion occurred at around 5:30pm, La Voixde L’Ain reported

The two children aged three and five were tragically killed in the blast on Monday which has also left others trapped beneath the rubble, as per local media

Pieces of debris are said to have smashed into at least two nearby schools and shattered several windows, but no injuries were reported

‘The two schools located nearby suffered material damage, broken windows, but school officials do not report any injuries.’ 

Police have urged residents to avoid the area after setting up a security perimeter around the blast zone.

At least four people are currently being treated by emergency services, with a reported two others trapped beneath the debris, according to Linternaute.

The apartment building’s facade is said to have partially collapsed as a result of the blast.

Nearby locals, including children, have been evacuated from the area and sheltered at an emergency unit at the Sapaly gymnasium.

Images captured at the scene showed piles of wreckage scattered across the ground as locals looked on in horror. 

Fifty firefighters were seen assisting the victims of the blast, alongside police who were also present at the explosion site.

A resident who lived near the site of the explosion told local media: ‘The firefighters arrived very quickly, as did the helicopter.

‘The explosion was enormous. It was like the beginning of a war, like a bomb.’

According to Le Progrès, the explosion was caused by a gas boiler located in one of the building’s apartments. 

‘I offer my sincere condolences to the families of the young victims. I am also thinking of the injured,’ said Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez on the social network X, adding that he was following ‘the situation closely’.