two people defend themselves from a window to escape from a burning squat known for its dilapidation

They had no choice but to jump out of the window to escape the flames. Two individuals were treated in a state of absolute emergency by firefighters who were responding to the fire in a squatted building in Caluire-et-Cuire on the night of Monday to Tuesday, according to several corroborating sources. Two other residents of this building, located at the top of the Montée de la Boucle, were more lightly injured. Search operations will continue in the coming hours as several people are missing. Operations complicated by the state of the building whose structure threatens to collapse, while floors gave way in the fire.

Nearly 140 firefighters and around forty engines took turns putting out the fire for two and a half hours. A large security system was put in place by the twenty police officers who intervened on site. “The delegated prefect for defense and security, Antoine Guérin, went to the site alongside elected officials from the Caluire-et-Cuire town hall to take stock of the relief operations”state services indicate. Residents are prohibited from getting their belongings inside. “Even the firefighters left equipment there,” confides a source close to the matter.

A building known for its dilapidation

The building belonging to the city of Lyon had been occupied for a year by former residents of the Pyramides squat, evacuated in the fall of 2023. Walled up for several years, it was heavily damaged. Around 90 people, the vast majority of whom were single men, had lived there since. According to our information, the town of Caluire and the Rhône prefecture had alerted to the dilapidation of the building, built of adobe, a sort of cob of raw earth characteristic of the Lyon region. Electrical installation faults had also been reported.

The city of Lyon had filed a complaint against its opening but had not requested its evacuation. “The criminal liability of the Mayor of Lyon is therefore engaged here”attacked the right-wing opposition in the city, regretting a tragedy “predictable given the condition of the building”. Lyon town hall has not yet reacted. The building had also been the subject of a ban order from the municipality of Caluire, rebutted by the administrative justice system a few weeks ago.

A TCL bus requisitioned to evacuate residents

The municipality also says it has alerted the president of the metropolis of Lyon, in charge of danger orders. Requested by Le Figarothe entourage of the president of the community ensures that “the legal conditions for an imminent danger order were not met on this site”. Electrical work was to be carried out by the city of Lyon, owner of the premises, according to several corroborating sources.

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In total, 47 other people were treated and examined by emergency services. They were transported to a Red Cross center using a TCL bus requisitioned for the occasion. A medical-psychological emergency cell was activated.