The residents of a building in Grand-Mare, in Rouen, which caught fire on January 1, took refuge in a neighborhood grocery store. One person was found dead.
A fire broke out this Wednesday, January 1, in a building in the Grand-Mare district of Rouen. One man died, and around forty people had to be evacuated. They were able to count on the solidarity of the manager of the neighboring Cocci Market to take refuge while waiting for help to arrive.
“We saw the neighbors running into our store, taking refuge here, so that’s when we discovered that there was really a big problem,” the manager, Hassan Ad Hass, told BFM Normandie.
It was on the 6th floor of this building, which has 12 floors, that the fire broke out around 5:40 p.m.
“I didn’t even think”
“Little by little it started to fill up in our store, so we welcomed them,” he adds. “We gave them water and tissues because they were choked with smoke while waiting for the Samu and firefighters to arrive.”
Around twenty people were taken to hospital because of the fumes or for minor injuries, including sprains.
“I didn’t even think about it,” confides the manager. “The only thing was to open the doors for them, in the reserve, between the shelves, to give them chairs.”
A large fire brigade was deployed on site with around 60 firefighters. The business also served as a rear base for firefighters and state services. The fire was quickly brought under control by the firefighters.
An investigation was opened and entrusted to the Rouen police station to determine the exact circumstances of the fire.
