Explosion in rue Saint-Jacques: body found, causes of the tragedy… Update on the investigation

Two weeks after building explosion St. Jacques Street in the 5th arrondissement of Paris Wednesday, June 21, 2023, it’s time to take stock. The drama was the subject of a long speech by elected officials at the Council of Paris on Wednesday July 5, 2023. “The explosion literally made the building which housed the Paris American Academy disappear“, remembered the mayor of the 5th arrondissement, Florence Berthout.

Fifteen days after the explosion that caused 58 injured and one dead, four people are still in a state of absolute emergency, said the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo (PS), including the director of the fashion school, “still in critical condition”. After six days of uninterrupted searches, the body of Anne B., a sewing teacher at the school, who had come to “help out” on the day of the tragedy, was finally discovered in the rubble.

The cause of the explosion still unknown

“We are here”, reassured the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo (PS) who addressed the Paris Council to traders “who can no longer exercise their professional activity” and to residents who had to be relocated. The Paris American Academy is supported by the City in a move that could allow it to reopen its doors at the start of the school year. A help from two million euros was released by the municipality to “help those directly or indirectly affected”.

“The worst was miraculously avoided thanks to the soldiers of Val-de-Grâce who opened the gate of their garden and made it possible to free the hundred occupants of the headquarters of Catholic education who were blocked behind the building”, detailed Florence Berthout.

“We will never compromise with the safety of the inhabitants of Paris,” added Anne Hidalgo. All the light will be shed on the conditions of this explosion. According to the elements of the Paris prosecutor who confirmed the evening of the tragedy that the explosion had indeed left the building, its origin remains, even today, unclear, although the gas remains the main track.

“Such a dramatic accident requires an appropriate response,” said Anne Hidalgo, who wants a transpartisan mission be diligent. A mission which will be entrusted to the opposition and where the conclusions will have to be made before the end of the year. “The time is now for meditation,” concluded the city councilor.

Significant material damage

Alongside the trauma, the material damage “is considerable”, summed up Florence Berthout. “Insurance companies must do their part. I impatiently await the conclusions of the investigation which will have to define the responsibilities and understand the causes of this tragedy so that it never happens again”.

Following the explosion, 500 homes were deprived of electricity and gas. A situation today returned to normal with the exception of the ten addresses covered by an order. GRDF, which had renovated the gas network at the end of 2022 and is awaiting authorization from the prefecture to bring the network back into service, specifies the mayor of the capital, who insisted on his role as controller of the gas network for which GRDF is responsible .

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