Six years ago, November 5, 2018Marseille was experiencing one of the most traumatic episodes in its recent history. On this rainy morning, two dilapidated buildings located at numbers 63 and 65 rue d'Aubagne, in the popular district of Noailles, suddenly collapsed at 9:07 a.m., causing the death of eight people aged 26 to 58 from various origins, trapped in the rubble of their apartments. Their names were Ouloume, Julien, Taher, Chérif, Fabien, Simona, Niasse and Marie-Emmanuelle. This tragic event quickly reveals the extent of the substandard housing crisis in the city and of serious safety deficiencies and property management.
Unsanitary buildings, thousands of evacuations
In Noailles, an emblematic district of Marseille's diversity, but also of housing challenges, the dilapidation of buildings and the lack of maintenance were known well before the disaster. As early as 2015, reports pointed to the risks in these buildings and in many other buildings in the city center.
In the months that followed, the services of the municipality, led at the time by mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin, evacuate more than 4,000 Marseillais residing in buildings identified as dangerous, mainly in the old center.
Public inaction, the anger of the Marseillais
The emotion aroused by the event quickly turns into anger. The tragedy led to the mobilization of residents and local associations such as the November 5 collective, which organized numerous demonstrations to denounce substandard housing and slumlords. Critics also target the crisis management by Jean-Claude Gaudin and his team, perceived as insufficient, and his inaction in the face of warnings from experts on the safety of buildings before the collapse.
A judicial information for “homicides and involuntary injuries” is open, targeting stakeholders involved in the management and maintenance of buildings. Several indictments have been issued, targeting in particular the mixed economy company Marseille Habitat and elected officials. The investigation highlights multiples “major failings” regarding the responsibilities of different public and private actors in building maintenance.
A catalytic process?
Six years later, the city remains marked by the drama of the rue d'Aubagne. The new municipality is now devoting more resources to fight against substandard housing, even if dangerous buildings still number in the dozens. Not far from the site of the collapses, a commemorative plaque was erected in 2021 bearing the names of the eight victims, so that they will never be forgotten. On the site of the buildings, in the “hollow tooth”, a place of entertainment for the neighborhood and of meditation must be built in the coming months.
But the next step is the trial which opens this Thursday November 7: 16 defendants appear until mid-December, more than 80 civil parties were identified. The trial is expected as a key moment to establish responsibilities and drive profound change in the fight for decent housing in Marseille and elsewhere.
