Paris court examines plumbing and construction faults behind deadly Rue de Trévise blast
During the third day of the trial, the Paris court heard testimony linking a long-standing sewage leak and a sidewalk collapse to the gas explosion that killed four people and injured dozens.
On the third day of proceedings in the 31st criminal chamber of the Paris judicial tribunal, the trial continued to assess technical causes of the Rue de Trévise explosion. Marie Daudé, the City of Paris' secretary general, argued that the municipality, as a legal entity, should be held accountable. The prosecution highlighted two key factors: a persistent wastewater collector leak beneath the site and a collapse of the sidewalk before the building's main entrance.
Testimony was taken from the manager of a plumbing company that had been engaged by the building’s syndicate from 2009, as well as from representatives of the construction agency Etoile of CIPA, the other defendant. Forensic experts suggest that the leak gradually eroded the soil, causing the ground to give way and the gas pipe to rupture, which triggered the explosion that resulted in four deaths and dozens of injuries.
Why it matters
The trial could set precedent for municipal liability in infrastructure-related disasters.
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