A house explodes near Montauban: what we know about the tragedy

A terrible tragedy occurred this Friday, November 29, 2024 in Meauzac, a town in Tarn-et-Garonne located about fifteen kilometers northwest of Montauban.

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A house explodes near Montauban: a man sought under the rubble

The first elements

The alert was given at 10:02 a.m., when a call came to the departmental fire and rescue operational center (Codis) of Tarn-et-Garonne, in Montauban. Residents of Chemin de Lestang, in Meauzac, heard a huge explosion. It was the house located at number 432 of this municipal road, less than a kilometer from the village, which was blown up and three-quarters destroyed, according to what the first responders who arrived on the scene noted.

Very quickly, we became worried about the owners, a retired couple. This concern was partly alleviated when we learned that the wife had been dropped off by her husband in a business a few minutes before the explosion. The husband therefore drove home alone. It was when he parked his vehicle in the basement of this house covering an area of ​​130 m2 that the explosion occurred. An accidental explosion whose origin remains to be determined.

At 2:45 p.m., owner still searched in rubble

It is therefore only one person who is being sought by the rescuers, the owner, a retired craftsman. SDIS 82 mobilized around fifty firefighters, including two dog teams and a drone pilot. The SDIS Rescue Support and Research Unit (USAR) has also hired personnel specializing in rescue and clearance operations. For its part, the Castelsarrasin gendarmerie company, under the command of squadron leader David Diaz, sent soldiers from the community of communes of Moissac and criminal identification technicians to the scene of the accident.

The sub-prefect of Castelsarrasin Pierre Bressolles also visited the site.

Acetylene bottles involved?

Obviously, for the gendarmerie investigators, one question is at the center of the investigation: what could have caused such a strong explosion? One hypothesis is followed as a priority: the presence of acetylene bottles that the owner, a former welder, stored at home. Acetylene is an extremely flammable and reactive gas.