Scooter and shopping carts as fuel: a woman in absolute emergency and 19 evacuated in an arson attack in Poitiers

A fire of criminal origin broke out this Sunday, December 15, 2024, around 6 a.m., in front of the building located at 14, rue du Commerce, in the Trois-Cités district, in Poitiers, indicates The New Republic.

Trois-Cités district

The fire, started from a scooter and shopping carts used as fuel, ravaged five apartments located vertically from the initial outbreak, despite the rapid intervention of seventy firefighters.

A 75-year-old woman seriously injured

Nineteen residents were evacuated following the disaster. Among the six injured people recorded, a 75-year-old woman, seriously injured in the respiratory tract, is in a state of absolute emergency. Three children and an adult, suffering from minor injuries, are in relative emergency. All were taken care of by two Samu teams and transferred to the emergency room of Poitiers University Hospital.

Other fire outbreaks reported

At the same time, two trash fires were lit in the immediate vicinity of the fire. The evacuated residents were temporarily accommodated at the Jacques-Brel school. During this time, GRDF technicians cut off the gas, and the Ekidom on-call team is working on rehousing solutions.

An ongoing investigation

According to our colleagues, an investigation was opened by the Poitiers police station. Commissioner Alice David, the on-call public prosecutor and forensic technicians went to the scene to make the first findings.