A violent fire that occurred Tuesday morning in a residence for the elderly in Haguenau in the Bas-Rhin caused one death, an 88-year-old man who died in his room, announced the sub-prefect of Saverne Benoît Vidon. A total of 85 people, mostly residents, were evacuated, nineteen of whom were taken to hospital in shock, he said at a press conference held in a cafe. , opposite the scene of the fire. The victim was found dead in his bedroom on the second floor, according to Benoît Vidon. It was on this floor that the fire, the cause of which was not specified, broke out, he added.
The fire was still going on at the start of the afternoon, AFP noted. Smoke was coming out of the roof where gaping holes revealed charred beams. The roof of the building was abundantly sprinkled by firefighters perched on nacelles. An acrid smell of smoke was also noticeable near this residence managed by the Abrapa association. Several fire trucks were stationed around.
The fire quickly spread to the attic
According to a press release from the Bas-Rhin firefighters, 80 firefighters and 33 machines were mobilized. The alert was given around 9:30 a.m. According to Commander François Trost, of the Bas-Rhin firefighters, the “violent fire” quickly spread “to the attic” and to the entire floor through the floor. The building dates from 1757 and was transformed into a residence for seniors in the early 90s, said Claude Sturni, the mayor of Haguenau, who spoke of a “human tragedy”.
Solutions are being studied to relocate residents, said Benoît Vidon. Pure “coincidence”, a fire drill had taken place the same morning in the residence, also indicated the director general of the Abrapa association, Jean Caramazana. This fire occurs the day after another disaster which killed four people, two adults and two children, in Strasbourg.