Charles Luylier (in Toulouse) / Photo credits: PAT BATARD / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP 7:32 a.m., March 10, 2024
After the collapse of a building during the night from Friday to Saturday in Toulouse, the state of buildings near the Place du Capitole is worrying.
Traders and residents alike are beginning to fear the worst.
During the night from Friday to Saturday, a building collapsed in the center of Toulouse which had previously been emptied of its occupants.
No casualties have been recorded.
The disaster occurred in a pedestrian shopping street, in the heart of one of the oldest districts of France's fourth city.
An accident that concerns residents: could other buildings collapse?
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“These are square meters that we bought and can no longer use”
Anthony owns a 16th century apartment in the old center of Toulouse.
The facade of the building is sagging and in his house, the walls of the bedroom are eaten away by cracks.
So much so that he no longer sleeps in the room.
"The placo is completely rotten, we no longer occupy this room at all because it is far too dangerous. We actually put our bed in the living room for safety reasons. These are square meters that we purchased and can no longer be used,” he regrets.
Public aid considered too low
A case far from isolated.
Julien owns several buildings right next to the one that collapsed.
One of them is in very poor condition but renovating it costs too much and public aid is too low.
"We are at 150,000 euros to redo the facade. The town hall offered 7,500 euros in subsidies, which is ridiculous. Such low subsidies will never encourage building owners to redo the facades. Ultimately, people prefer to say to themselves ' Come on, let's leave it like that, it's not worth it'", he says at the microphone of Europe 1.
In recent years, around ten buildings have suffered partial collapse.
A phenomenon which, unlike Marseille, has not yet caused any victims.