At least seven dead in an explosion and a fire in southeastern France

MADRID, Feb. 14 (Royals Blue) –

At least seven people have died as a result of an explosion and a subsequent fire that occurred this Monday morning in a building in the French town of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque, near Perpignan, according to a preliminary balance of victims that could increase in the next few hours, since it is not ruled out that they have disappeared.

The incident occurred on one of the main streets of the town. The explosion allegedly originated in a commercial premises and caused the fire of nearby buildings, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, which has already opened an investigation to clarify, among other issues, if there were gas cylinders.

Among the seven fatalities already identified there are at least two children, while at least four people have been injured, one of them seriously, according to sources cited by France Bleu. The seriously injured is a 27-year-old man who jumped from the first floor to escape the flames.

The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, has traveled to the scene to express his regret on behalf of the Government for this “true drama”. “On behalf of the nation, I convey my support and all my solidarity to the families and relatives of the victims,” ​​he declared.