The bodies of two men and one woman have been found in the rubble of two buildings that collapsed in the city of Marseille on Monday, the local fire brigade said, while searches continued for other people who might be buried.

Earlier on Tuesday, Marseille public prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux said up to eight people might have been buried.

Authorities said they were looking into what caused the collapse. Local residents said the six-storey buildings were old and dilapidated, which might have been a factor.

Over 40 rescue workers were dispatched to the scene to search for possible victims with the authorities confirming that at least two passersby had also been injured.

The mayor for the area, Sabine Bernasconi, told the media the building was dilapidated and that an evacuation order had been issued, but admitted that there may have been squatters living there.

The rescue squads told AFP that according to their information, at least 12 people were potentially living at these addresses.

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