The explosion took place in the early afternoon of Wednesday. The balance sheet is eight wounded, including one seriously.
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An explosion sounded in a powder snow in Bergerac classified Seveso high threshold, Wednesday August 3, at the beginning of the afternoon, and was followed by a fire, reports France Bleu Périgord. Eight people were injured, four of them seriously, they are in a state of absolute emergency. Nevertheless, no vital prognosis is engaged. 35 people were also inconvenienced by the fumes.
Authorities are asking residents to avoid the area.
Blowing snow incident information: An explosion was heard at the blowing snow in the early afternoon. We ask that you avoid the area. More information to come. pic.twitter.com/c2Cw3wBtrQ
— Bergerac (@VilledeBergerac) August 3, 2022
The risk of spread is low, given the little wind, the police told franceinfo. The risk of toxicity is also low, said the Dordogne prefecture to franceinfo because “once the nitrocellulose explodes, nothing happens”.
The incident took place in the Manuco factory which employs 80 people on the Eurenco site of which it is a subsidiary. It manufactures nitrocellulose, used in the composition of powders for military armament, sports shooting or even dynamite.
The site is classified Seveso high threshold because of the “fire and toxic risk”, “storage” and “handling of explosive products and acids” according to a document from the prefecture of Dordogne.
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