“We heard a lot of noise outside around 2:30 in the morning. That’s what woke us up. People were screaming, crying. My friend saw white sheets coming out of the building.” A fire broke out in the basement of a building on Rue de Vevey in Bulle (FR), on the night of Monday to Tuesday. As reported by several witnesses, the police confirm that two people lost their lives.
Heavy smoke spread through buildings 233 to 219. A 52-year-old man and his 13-year-old daughter died of carbon monoxide poisoning. A 48-year-old woman was airlifted to hospital by Rega. Around twenty people were also poisoned and taken by ambulance to hospitals in French-speaking Switzerland.
“Many neighbours, including children, were evacuated and relocated. The police asked others to stay at home and close their blinds…”, reports a local resident. Around 90 people, the cantonal police said. According to her, emergency vehicles intervened in large numbers during the night. “The Rega helicopter was unable to land on the street. It had to go a little further, into a field,” she added.
Rue de Vevey will be closed for an indefinite period following the intervention. In total, around sixty vehicles were in the underground garage and were damaged. An investigation is underway to determine the exact causes of this fire.
