Nîmes Woman Cécile Gensac on Fatal Forklift Accident Outside Store

A judicial investigation has been opened following the death of a 15-year-old high school student during a work placement at a materials company in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, in the Gard department of southern France.

The teenager died on Friday, April 17, 2026, at the company site. Prosecutor Cécile Gensac of Nîmes announced on Thursday, April 23, that the case had been referred to an investigating judge on charges of involuntary manslaughter in the workplace.

The decision to open a formal judicial inquiry was based on the technical complexity of the facts and legal aspects surrounding the incident, according to the prosecutor’s statement.

Emergency services were alerted around 8:30 a.m. On the day of the accident after reports of a death on a professional premises. The student, who was in his second year of high school, was undertaking a mandatory internship as part of his education.

In response to the incident, the French ministers of Labour and Education announced on April 23 the launch of an expedited mission to strengthen safety conditions for school work placements nationwide.

No further details about the circumstances of the accident have been made publicly available by judicial or official sources at this time.