Ain Explosion: Victims, Investigation Details
- A violent explosion devastated the town of Trévouxin Ain, late Monday afternoon.
- “Unfortunately, two […] young children were declared dead after resuscitation attempts by rescue teams,” indicated the prefect of Ain, Chantal Mauchet.
- Five victims in relative emergency were transported to hospitals in the region, while two slightly injured people presented themselves to the hospital, according to the prefecture.
A violent explosion devastated the town of Trévouxin Ain, late Monday afternoon. The explosion, which occurred around 5:30 p.m. on the ground floor of a four-story apartment building, caused the death of two children and injured several people. The building, located about forty kilometers north of Lyonwas seriously damaged, triggering a major mobilization of emergency services and security forces with nearly fifty firefighters, 36 engines and medical emergency services. 20 Minutes takes stock of this drama.
What is the death toll?
The human toll shows two death. “Unfortunately, two […] young children were declared dead after resuscitation attempts by rescue teams,” indicated the prefect of Ain, Chantal Mauchet. According to a source within the emergency services, the victims were aged three and five. The assessment remains provisional, the search having lasted part of the evening.
At least seven people were injured in theexplosion. Five victims in relative emergency were transported to hospitals in the region, while two slightly injured people presented themselves to the hospital, according to the prefecture. “Many other people are shocked,” underlined the prefect. The building had around 70 residents. Around fifty of them had to be evacuated and housed for the night in a community gymnasium. The structure of the building was weakened by the explosion, making any return impossible in the short term.
What are the local and national reactions?
The testimonies collected on site reflect the violence of the explosion. “I was at home, I heard a terrible noise, I thought it was a plane falling,” Anne-Marie, a neighbor, told AFP. Another resident says she heard “a big boom” before noticing that “the door, the window was completely exploded”, then evoking “screams” in the minutes that followed.
The mayor of Trévoux, Marc Péchoux, activated a municipal safeguard plan and described a “dramatic” situation. The Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñezdeclared on I also think of the injured. » Prefect Chantale Mauchet sent “her most saddened condolences” to the relatives of the victims.
Where is the investigation and what are the preferred avenues?
The causes of the explosion remain unknown at this stage. A “gas emergency” intervention van was seen on the scene, although the possibility of a gas leak could not be immediately confirmed. “The firefighters are still on the job,” said the prefect, calling on the population to stay away from a building deemed “dangerous”.
An investigation was opened to determine the origin of the incident. “We need a little more time to ensure that there is no one left under the rubble,” explained Colonel Pierre-Marie Grandcolas, of the Ain SDIS, while dog teams continued the checks.