Around 2.00 pm, an explosion resulting from the accidental puncturing of a gas pipeline (service pressure: 4 bar, commissioned on March 2007) was followed by a fire during road works. The red alert was triggered at 2.19 pm and around 251 fire-fighters along with 68 fire engines were called in. A safety perimeter was set up and then widened given the new developments and the risk of a second explosion.
At 4.30 pm, the road works team crushed the 63 mm polyethylene pipeline to stop the gas flow. The emergency services then put out the fire. The provisional casualty toll of the accident stood at one death, 63 injured including 10 cases of serious burns (4 with very poor vital prognosis). Two residential buildings including one café-restaurant on the ground floor were damaged.
Legal proceedings had been instituted on 9 November for involuntary manslaughter and injury, damage to property following breach of duty of care and safety requirement.