An explosion occurred on the night of Tuesday May 7 to Wednesday May 8 in an HLM building in Puilboreau, near La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime).
Three people were injured, one seriously.
Around forty residents had to be evacuated.
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The 1 p.m.
A gutted apartment and lots of damage. Around 4:30 a.m., on the night of Tuesday May 7 to Wednesday May 8, a violent explosion took place on the third and top floor of an HLM building located in the town of Puilboreau, near La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime). With the force of the explosion, the residence sank one floor, as can be seen in the TF1 1 p.m. report above. Its breath also swept several cars as well as the windows of the residence for the elderly which is located directly opposite.
The report shows three injured, one seriously. The resident, trapped under the rubble, was subsequently airlifted urgently to Poitiers hospital (Vienna). His vital prognosis is in jeopardy. According to France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the victim had to have one of his legs amputated.
Shocked residents
The residents of the building affected by the explosion were welcomed into a village hall. Everyone is very shocked. “We heard the explosion. I came out of the room and saw my window exploded. I no longer have a bathroom”, confides Amandine Eloy, a resident of the damaged building. His companion, Benjamin Croizé, adds: “We were on the first floor. There was a landslide, it destroyed the bay window. We saved ourselves, we saved the little girl, we tried to leave as quickly as possible.” For the resident, he and his family have “had a hell of a chance”.
“The explosion, we thought it was over”admits Samuel Le Drévo, another victim of the explosion. “Our building collapsed. We feel naked, I have the impression that I lost my whole life there, that I will never get anything back”he continues, upset, in front of the TF1 camera.
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In total, 42 people will have to be rehoused. The building is now uninhabitable. For the moment, it is impossible to know what caused this explosion, but the preferred hypothesis is that of a gas leak. According to France 3, the explosion caused no injuries among the 138 residents and employees of the senior residence located near the damaged building.
