Eight people were injured, including one seriously, this Wednesday, August 3 after ” several explosions of unknown origin which occurred on the site of the Eurenco powder factory in Bergerac, in the south-west of France. The plant is classified Seveso “high threshold”.
The Dordogne prefecture said in a statement that ” several explosions took place at the beginning of the afternoon on the Eurenco blowing site “, a factory located east of Bergerac and classified ” Seveso high threshold “. The site, known locally as the “Poudrerie de Bergerac” produces nitrocellulose for ammunition.
The explosions, whose origin was still undetermined at the end of the afternoon, occurred in ” one of the storage buildings, which caused a fire “, a fire now “ circumscribed ” and that ” do not progress “, further indicated the prefecture. The White plan, which provides for the mobilization of health establishments in the event of an emergency, has been activated ” to facilitate the treatment of victims “. The prefecture immediately wanted to reassure the population by indicating that ” at this stage, the incident has no impact outside the site “. Forty people were then on site and all staff were evacuated.
The explosions occurred during ” maintenance operations “when” the nitrocellulose contained in a workshop ignited, “said the Eurenco group in a press release, assuring that the situation was” under control “.
Administrative investigation to determine the causes
” It will take an administrative investigation to be able to determine the causes of this incident. “, declared the sub-prefect Jean-Charles Jobard during a press briefing. According to him, the incident took place in a building that contained ” less than two tons of nitrocellulose “. A security perimeter has been established around the site and significant resources deployed with the presence of 61 firefighters and around thirty vehicles, 20 police officers and two Samu helicopters.
At the end of the afternoon, there remained in front of the gates of the site only a truck and two fire engines. Employees, uninjured and gathered on the forecourt of a building, had been taken care of by the Red Cross before leaving the scene. The entire boulevard leading to the site, located less than 4 km from the town center of Bergerac, was cordoned off by the police and prohibited to traffic. No smoke was visible around the site, completely emptied of its employees, whose gates were fully open to allow the passage of emergency vehicles.
(With AFP)
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