Marseille: an inmate seriously burned in the fire of his cell at Baumettes

Europe 1 with AFP 3:19 p.m., August 01, 2022

A prisoner in his thirties was seriously burned in the fire in his cell during the night from Sunday to Monday at the Baumettes penitentiary center in Marseille.

The man, whose vital prognosis is engaged, was transported by the marine-firefighters to the Timone hospital.

A second detainee who was in the cell above was slightly poisoned by the fumes and treated on the spot, said the marine-firefighters.

The prison being rehabilitated

The fire completely destroyed the 9 m2 cell located in the regional medico-psychological support unit in which detainees suffering from psychological disorders are incarcerated, said the prison administration.

It was extinguished by prison staff before the arrival of the firefighters, the latter told AFP.

Located in the southern districts of Marseille, the penitentiary center of Baumettes, a mythical prison which notably hosted the sponsors of the "French Connection" and the last execution in France, is in the process of being rehabilitated.

922 inmates

In place of the historic stone building now destroyed, a new remand center with 740 places should be built by 2025, alongside a first extension of 1,182 places, "Baumettes 2", opened in 2018. It was in this last building that the fire took place.

As of August 1, 816 men and 106 women were imprisoned at Baumettes.