On Monday afternoon, a large chemical plant near Lyon, the capital of the Rhône department in southeastern France, experienced an explosion followed by a fire, resulting in at least 4 people being injured, with 3 of them sustaining severe injuries. Authorities have activated the major accident emergency response in France.
According to media reports, around 3 p.m. local time on Monday, an explosion occurred in a laboratory at the Elkem Silicones factory in Saint-Fons, in southern Lyon, leading to a massive fire. Videos circulated online showed thick smoke billowing from the scene, visible from several kilometers away.
Following the incident, the Rhône department government promptly initiated the highest level of emergency response mechanism, “ORSEC,” to coordinate all rescue efforts. Preliminary investigations suggest that the explosion may be related to hydrogen.
Official reports indicated that the explosion resulted in injuries to 4 factory employees who were promptly transported to hospitals for treatment, with 3 of them in critical condition.
Local fire department sources mentioned that the explosion triggered a fire engulfing an area of about 600 square meters in the building, with intense flames. Following the incident, 84 firefighters with 32 pieces of specialized equipment swiftly arrived at the scene, dedicating their efforts to extinguishing the fire.
Simultaneously, the police established a safety cordon with a radius of approximately 1000 meters around the factory and issued alerts through the alarm system, instructing residents within the caution zone to stay indoors and warning others against entering the area.
As a precaution, the A7 highway, vital railway lines, and the Saône River navigation route passing through the region were temporarily closed, leading to disruptions in the industrial zone known as the “Chemical Valley” in southern Lyon and surrounding traffic.
After hours of strenuous firefighting efforts, the provincial government declared around 5:50 p.m. in the evening that the primary fire had been contained. Subsequent lockdown measures were gradually lifted.
The Rhône department government mentioned, “Based on real-time environmental monitoring data, there is currently no toxic risk for residents.”
The chemical plant where the incident occurred is under the Elkem group from Norway, a significant chemical enterprise with approximately 570 employees, specializing in the production of high-performance silicon materials for electronics, medical, and various other industries. Due to substantial storage and use of hazardous chemicals, the plant falls under the high-risk industrial site category of the EU’s Seveso directive, subjecting it to stringent safety regulations.
Presently, local authorities, labor inspection departments, and the judiciary have initiated a formal investigation into the cause of the accident, focusing on the technical reasons for the hydrogen explosion, the plant’s safety management procedures, and the effectiveness of emergency protocols. The operating company, Elkem Group, has pledged full cooperation with the investigation.