A serious accident occurred in the French DIY brand Leroy Merlin, in Puilboreau (Charente-Maritime), Wednesday April 26 around noon. “Nearly 300 kilograms of palisades” fell on a 57-year-old client, said the deputy prosecutor of the Republic of La Rochelle Soraya Ahras this Thursday at Figaro. A judicial inquiry has been opened on the grounds of “involuntary injuries”.
The victim is currently in “serious condition”, she was “taken care of by the firefighters at 12:30 p.m. and was helicoptered by Civil Security to the Poitiers hospital center at 12:50 p.m., from the aerodrome of La Rochelle”, informs the Charente-Maritime firefighters (SDIS 17).
The 50-year-old was on Wednesday at noon in the “materials yard, located outside the store”, explains Leroy Merlin. “The spouse (of the victim) lifted the protective barrier and detached the straps from the palisades, which fell on his spouse”, explains the La Rochelle prosecutor’s office. The responsibility of the company would therefore not be engaged if the investigation confirmed the customer’s imprudence.
Contacted by Le Figaro, the DIY store specifies that a “psychological unit has been opened for all staff, in a state of shock” and addresses “all (his) thoughts to the victim and his family”. The outdoor area was closed to the public, the store remained open.
