an investigation opened for involuntary injuries by the Lyon public prosecutor’s office

Six employees were injured. Three of them, seriously burned, are in absolute emergency at this time, indicates the Lyon public prosecutor’s office.

After the explosions, and the fire which followed, on the Elkem Silicones industrial site, in Saint-Fons (Rhône), the Lyon prosecutor’s office announced on Tuesday December 23 that it had opened an investigation “on the grounds of involuntary injuries by a legal entity followed by incapacity for more than three months”. The investigation was entrusted to the specialized organized crime division (DCOS) and the departmental directorate of employment, labor and solidarity (DDETS) to “determine the causes and circumstances of these facts”.

The prosecution gives a new updated assessment of the incident which occurred Monday at this factory classified Seveso high threshold, located in the Lyon metropolis. “Six employees of this company were injured. Three of them were seriously burned and are currently in absolute emergency.”

On Monday, shortly before 3 p.m., several explosions took place at this site producing materials from silicone. A fire followed, which was brought under control around 5 p.m. As a precautionary measure, the A7 motorway, railway and river routes were temporarily closed, and residents of several surrounding communities were asked to self-isolate. The measures were lifted shortly before 6 p.m., when the toxicity measurements turned out to be negative.