A delivery driver died on Monday morning at a site belonging to cement manufacturer Lafarge in Port-la-Nouvelle (Aude), buried under the rubble of his truck, said a source close to the investigation launched into “negligent homicide”.
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The victim, an experienced employee in his 50s, tried in vain to raise the alarm by calling, the same source said.
The Narbonne public prosecutor’s office confirmed the opening of an investigation.
The accident occurred around 6 a.m. on Monday. The victim, who works for a subcontractor of the cement manufacturer Lafarge, the transport company Audouy, got out of his vehicle to “ensure the unloading of the goods,” said the source close to the case.
“Expert reports are being prepared to determine the cause of death,” the same source said, adding that the labor inspectorate was also involved.
At the same time, “Lafarge Holcim France mobilized its Occupational Safety Department to cooperate in the investigation to establish the facts and ensure that such an extremely rare accident cannot happen again,” a Lafarge representative said. Holcim France told AFP.
“He unloaded a truck with plaster, there are no direct witnesses, which is normal for such an unloading,” he said.
“There is great excitement on site where the director of the cement plant brought the teams together for a moment of reflection on Monday afternoon,” he added.