The Béziers disaster

On Avenue de Belfort, in Béziers, there are large buildings that were once built to serve as barracks. They were occupied until recently by various private companies, a baby carriage factory, a hotel, stables, and the office of the Association of Livestock Merchants.

On February 8, at three o'clock in the morning, a fire suddenly broke out in the carriage factory, on the third floor of the building. The alarm was given immediately, but, despite the speed of the emergency services, the fire, fueled by the flammable materials found in the factory and driven by the wind, quickly consumed the entire former barracks.
If the disaster had stopped there, there would have been only material damage, since the horses housed in the stables had been evacuated in time.
Unfortunately, this fire was to end in disaster. Indeed, while the firefighters were finishing drowning the rubble, helped by the city agents and the soldiers of the 81st Infantry, the walls of the burning building suddenly collapsed over a length of about fifty meters.
About thirty people were buried under the formidable avalanche of rubble. The military authorities immediately rushed to organize a search service and to transport the wounded and the dead to the hospital. One can easily imagine the difficulties of the enterprise. It was not without danger for the rescuers.
Little by little, however, it was possible to remove the unfortunate victims from the pile of rubble. Counting those who were killed instantly and those who died later from their wounds, there were sixteen dead, twelve soldiers, three firemen and a city agent.

Not only was the city of Béziers in mourning, but a very legitimate emotion took over the whole of France. Rewards were awarded to the rescuers, subscriptions opened in favor of the relatives of the dead and the wounded and the Chamber of Deputies, in its session of February 10, paid a solemn tribute to all the victims.