at least one person in absolute emergency after an explosion in a Seveso classified factory in Sète

According to the prefecture, the fire is now under control and samples are being taken from the Saipol site.

“An explosion followed by a fire took place at 5 p.m. within the Saipol company, classified Seveso low threshold, located in the commune of Sète. announced in a press release on Wednesday April 10, the prefecture of Hérault. At least one person, an employee of the company, was injured. She is in absolute emergency and was airlifted to the Lapeyronie hospital center.

In a following press release, the prefecture informs that “The fire is now under control and on the verge of being extinguished.” In total, “20 people from the company were involved and 200 people were evacuated as a precaution.”. The explosion took place “in the esterification warehouse (manufacture of fuel from seeds) where 300m3 of diester was present.

Impressive plume of black smoke

“The company, which was at a standstill, in a maintenance situation, immediately activated its specific intervention plan,” specifies the prefecture. The Saipol factory, located in the city’s commercial port, specializes in the production of carbon-free energy and vegetable proteins, recalls France 3. It belongs to the Avril group, chaired by the boss of the FNSEA, Arnaud Rousseau.

On social networks, several videos have circulated, on which we can see an immense plume of gray smoke. A security perimeter has been established. Samples were taken on site, in the air and in the ground, as a precaution. “The results of the first measurements carried out on site by the CMIC (SDIS 34) are negative”, assured the prefecture, which recalled that the plume headed towards the sea. Still according to the prefect, the departmental operational center, a crisis management tool in the event of a major event, was activated.

“Two firefighting groups, a detection, identification and sampling vehicle, a fireboat and the mobile chemical and security intervention cell (national police resources)” have also been deployed on the site.