“We have elements that lead us to think of a criminal lead”, explains the prosecutor

An explosion killed at least eight people on Monday February 14 in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque (Pyrénées-Orientales), according to a still provisional report communicated Tuesday February 15 at midday by the procurer of Perpignan. An eighth body was extracted from the rubbleTuesday morning. PAmong the victims, a child under one year old and one under three years old. “We have elements that lead us to think of a criminal lead”, said the public prosecutor of Perpignan, Jean-David Cavaillé, Tuesday, February 15 on France Bleu Roussillon. Investigation for arson having resulted in death is only just beginning, it “promises to be complex, all leads have been worked on”he said, however.

>> Explosion in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque: what we know about the tragedy that killed at least seven people

Gas cylinders on the ground floor of one of the buildings, at the level of a grocery store, have been spotted but impossible for the moment to determine their role in this fire and to whom they belong, explained the prosecutor of the Republic.

CCTV footage of the town is currently being studied by investigators. One of the cameras was pointed at rue Arago, where the tragedy occurred, reports France Bleu Roussillon. A team from the Criminal Research Institute of the National Gendarmerie (IRCGN) arrived on site. She goes “accompany a fire expert and investigators in the field”, says the public prosecutor. A modeling of the buildings will be carried out. It is necessary to stabilize and secure the place before being able to enter it. The third building may not be accessible from Wednesday, the building is very fragile and threatens to collapse.

Emergency aid, insurance, psychological follow-up … A monitoring committee has been set up to ensure the continuity of solidarity, indicated the prefect of the Pyrénées-Orientales on France Bleu Roussillon.