VIDEO. “My building shook”, “It smelled like gas”… local residents recount the explosion in front of the synagogue in La Grande-Motte

Victoria et Baptiste vivent près de la synagogue. MIDI LIBRE

Ce samedi 24 août, vers 8 h 30 du matin, une explosion a retenti devant la synagogue de La Grande-Motte. Des riverains racontent.

Horror in La Grande-Motte. Around 8:30 a.m. this Saturday, the detonation that rang out woke the neighbors of the Beth Yaacov synagogue from their sleep. “I was woken up by a shrill noise that broke the silence,” says Victoria, who lives less than a kilometer away.

“It's a peaceful place where I come every year, she explains. That this usually quiet seaside resort is affected is distressing. Hate is spreading, there are no limits and people are becoming crazy."

Jewish community in shock

Baptiste lives about a hundred meters from the synagogue. “At that moment, I was leaving my house with my mother, he says. We saw thick black smoke, then the terrace behind the synagogue completely ablaze. It smelled strongly of gas. The firefighters were already there, the police were arriving."

"I was woken up by a loud explosion, adds a resident of the social housing located opposite the synagogue. My building shook. I looked out of my window towards the Total station, thinking it was a tank explosion, and I didn't see any flames. Going to the other terrace of my apartment, I saw flames in front of the synagogue and under the parking lot of the H20 building and a large number of firefighters, gendarmes and municipal police officers. The entire neighborhood was quickly secured and we were unable to leave or enter our home. The GIGN arrived quickly and patrolled around the André-Malraux school group. Having lived here for over 40 years, this was the first time I felt unsafe. But like many neighbors living in the area with everything going on in the world, this proximity to the synagogue was a source of concern.

Established in La Grande-Motte for over 50 years, a shopkeeper from La Grande-Motte explains that she is particularly "shocked".

 "I have a client who was supposed to celebrate her 60th wedding anniversary this Sunday at the synagogue and I am very sad for her who was looking forward to it, she emphasizes. I get a lot of calls asking me how this multicultural city can get to this point. Because the Jewish people in the city are very discreet and blend into the city without displaying their religion.”