Five people died and one was seriously injured as a result of the fire caused last morning by an explosion in a store in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque, near the city of Perpignan (southern France), reported Today the Prosecutor’s Office.
Firefighters from the department of Pyrenees Orientales explained on their Facebook account that the explosion occurred in a grocery store located in the center of that town and affected at least eleven homes. The seriously injured man is a 27-year-old man who jumped out of a window to escape the flames and was taken to Montpellier hospital, according to local media. In addition, there were several minor injuries who were intoxicated by the smoke.
The fire continued early in the morning and firefighters were unable to access the store building due to the risk of collapse. Outside the building there were several butane cylinders, although it is not yet known if they were the cause of the explosion or if they aggravated it.