Françoise Bonin lost her son Arnaud, 18, on December 4, 1999 in the explosion of the building at 145 avenue Eiffel in Dijon. 25 years later, she returns to this still raw pain and to her fight to never forget the victims.
On December 4, 1999 at 11:45 p.m., the building at 145 avenue Eiffel in Dijon collapsed after a gas explosion.. The tragedy left 11 dead including Arnaud, the son of Françoise Bonin. Guest of France Bleu Bourgogne 25 years later, she spoke about her still raw pain and her fight with other families of victims to never forget this dramatic event.
“I would blame myself all my life for not being able to say goodbye to my son”
France Bleu Bourgogne – How are you feeling this morning? How are you ?
Françoise Bonin: Like any mother who may have lost a child, we will say, in such tragedies. And to say to myself that, double thing, my personal suffering and the fact of telling myself that such explosions continue to exist.
How did you learn of your son's death?
So, in a horrible way. The most horrible thing that could happen. I found out about it through a phone call from a police officer who told us coldly, convinced that we already knew about it. It was my husband at the time who answered and thought it was a joke. So, telling him, no, but the joke is enough, pass me Arnaud. And well, it turns out that I had bought the newspaper, I had seen that there had been an explosion. So I said, no, but pass me by. And indeed, we learned it like that. In fact, we were asked to go to the scene. And I don't even know, because well, Didier couldn't drive, I got behind the wheel being from Dijon, I don't even know how I got to Avenue Eiffel. I think we did all of Dijon, because I didn't even know how to go anymore. I was an automaton behind the wheel. And when we got there, there was no support, completely lost, in the middle of people, they wouldn't let us approach, because there was, which was normal, a police cordon, but we couldn't get there. not to explain, but we are parents.
That moment was painful, and the rest too, you couldn't say goodbye to your son.
That was the big problem. For me, it's the worst, anyway, until the end of my days, I will blame myself for it. And that, since day one. Yes, I was stupid to believe what I was told, since we were asked to recognize the bodies, but they were all lined up next to each other, it was horrible. And there we saw Arnaud but barely, I don't even know if it was one or two minutes enough time to say yes, it's definitely Arnaud. Didier had the good idea not to listen to them and to kiss her. Me stupidly, well I mean, we don't even know what state we are in, I came out because we had to let the next ones in and so there it was, I didn't have the reflex to kiss him and we It was never seen again because in fact they forgot to tell us again that the autopsies were finished so in fact they only gave it back to us for the funeral and for a mother, I didn't say goodbye to her.
How were you supported after this tragedy? Is it because there was a lack of support that you created the association?
Yes, absolutely. Because already, we had an agreement between the families, since of course we were contacted. So at the start, we heard everything, that it was the young people who had blown up the building, of course. Finally, we heard all the possible versions. And what we wanted was for GDF to be put on trial, which had never been done before. We were the first to do it, because of course we were offered bribes, but that was out of the question. With the families, we were very united and we decided to form an association, all trying to distribute the roles a little, because there were things that we didn't really know. We decided to divide ourselves up a little by skills, it was the beginnings of IT, so we spent days and nights in piles of documents, each one taking a bit of their specialty but all the while working together. François went into everything that was technical, with Sylvie we went more into the technical part too since we visited a factory because it was very easy for GDF to use hyper technical terms while drowning us out. completely.
You have dedicated your life to the association.
Yes absolutely there it is. In memory of my son and the other victims, with the help of the association. And besides, if I may, what we must not forget was the help we received from the gas workers. Because we must not forget that the gas workers themselves are afraid of these damn pipes. They are afraid for their own lives, and indeed, they came to help us enormously, in the same way that they put one of their lawyers for the trial, which was our strength.
So the trial took place in 2006. Gaz de France was found guilty of homicide and involuntary injury, sentenced to a fine of just over 200,000 euros. The explosion, says justice, is due to the gray background pipes, still widely used at the time, even if non-compliant. Did it help change things behind or not? There were other explosions behind…
So. So there are already several things, one thing that I will allow myself to put back in place, is that many, through the conviction, thought that the money was intended for us. So this money, of course, did not go to the families, it went to the State. Let us already agree on this enormous sum. But for us, what really interested us was the conviction, and to say that, well, we were going to save other lives. So, since GDF had been condemned to change all the pipes in the background, knowing that in addition to their mapping is false, therefore also to put it back on track, in order, since we are going to say that France is a bit of a bomb, all around. And unfortunately for us, what we did not foresee is that at the end of each presidential term, there are amnesties. And that GDF, which at the time needed it for financial issues, benefited from an amnesty. So we removed this trial from their record.
How does your association live today, 25 years later?
Our association is becoming difficult because there are only two of us left, unfortunately. I also want to pay tribute to all those who have since left us. Since in fact, for 25 years, especially among parents, there have been deaths, even in other families. And above all, it's difficult for us because we tell ourselves that we have fought all these years and that we have not prevented other explosions. Notably Mulhouse which will in turn celebrate their 20th anniversary, even at the moment Paris, Marseille, all these places. Every time I hear “gas explosion” on TV, even if it's a gas cylinder, I mean… It's a pain, it's a suffering. It's not even that, I can't breathe anymore and I blame myself, I blame myself because I tell myself… It's our fault. We were unable to get the pipes changed.
