The Matane community is in shock following the fire that ravaged the Les Fruits de mer de l’Est processing plant.
• Read also: A fire broke out at the Les Fruits de mer de l’Est processing plant in Matane
“It’s a total loss. It’s really sad,” declared the mayor of the municipality, Eddy Métivier, in an interview with LCN.
“It’s really sad and one more tile that closes permanently. We could have had hope of some buyer who could identify, but now that the building is a total loss, the hopes are really dashed,” he added.
Indeed, the City of Matane suffered a hard blow on March 18 when the closure of the factory, which plays a major role in the local economy, was announced.
Fortunately, the fire caused no injuries and people who had to evacuate in the middle of the night received permission from the city to return to their homes early Saturday morning.
“The air quality in the perimeter of the factory and throughout the territory of the City of Matane is completely safe for the entire population,” assured Mayor Eddy Métivier.
Around 120 people still had to be taken care of by the disaster center established at the Béton-Provincial coliseum.
The fire, the cause of which remains unknown, required the deployment of numerous firefighters and teams from Matane, the MRC of La Matanie and Mont-Joli.
“Hats off to the entire team who did their utmost to try to avoid the worst, but the building is really a total loss,” says the mayor of Matane.
Water quality
Furthermore, in the morning, the City of Matane issued an advisory to its citizens regarding the quality of water in the municipality, although it maintains that it remains drinkable.
“Following the intervention of our Fire Department on the site of the Fruits de mer de l’Est factory, variations in the coloring of the water were reported in several sectors of the City,” wrote the municipal administration on its social networks.
The City assures, however, that the situation is temporary and should return to normal quickly.
“It is recommended, during this period, to check the quality of the water before using it for domestic and drinking purposes and, if necessary, to let it flow for a few minutes until it has regained its clarity,” indicates the City of Matane.