Fire department officials in Paris say 10 people have been rescued from the building collapse disaster in Rosny-sous-Bois.
An eight-year-old child and an elderly woman have been killed after the four storey residential building collapsed in the Paris suburb, following an explosion.
11 others have been injured, while searches continue for at least six people still missing.
Fire department spokesman Gabriel Plus said he was optimistic survivors would be found in the coming hours.
The blast happened at around 7 o'clock this morning Irish time, causing 15 apartments to collapse.
Firefighters are currently searching the rubble for victims.
It is not yet known what triggered the explosion, but it is believed it may have been a gas leak.
Television images of the building showed one side ripped off completely, exposing the interiors of the apartments inside.
Originally published 10:06am
