Chemin de Briou, in Vrigny, a few dozen meters from the monument in honor of American soldiers – who died in a plane crash during the Second World War – a utility vehicle lies on the side of the road, in a pitiful state .
A fire disfigured it, evaporating its paint. About ten meters to the left, to the right, in front, elements were thrown by the force of an explosion: a blackened fire extinguisher, cans, a door which was propelled before the fire could reach it.
Twisted in branches, we can still read “Gas network distribution France” (GRDF). The vehicle’s license plate is also one of the identifiable remains. It is registered in Loiret.
“In summer, it would have been dramatic”
A loud boom was heard on Tuesday January 14 by local residents in Vrigny. “It woke up my daughter around 5 a.m.,” says a resident. The detonation was also heard in Courcy-aux-Loges.
Firefighters were alerted at 6:25 a.m. and quickly brought the fire under control. The intervention ended at 7:21 a.m. No injuries were reported, emergency services said. The explosion was caused by a gas bottle inside the van.
Luckily, the surrounding trees were not consumed. “If it had happened in summer, it would have been dramatic,” says Christian Blondel, the mayor of the town. A resident laments: “It’s not even the worst. We are much more bothered by illegal dumping in the forest.”
Belgium
