A hundred firefighters, helped by thirty machines, were mobilized, according to the Paris firefighters, specifying in the middle of the afternoon that the fire had been contained and that any risk of propagation had been ruled out.
An impressive column of thick smoke was visible throughout the southern suburbs of Paris in the middle of the day.
“A fire broke out in a fruit and vegetable warehouse around 12:20 p.m.,” the Val-de-Marne prefecture said on its Twitter account.
The fire broke out in a warehouse of around 8,000 m2 belonging to the Les Halles Mandar group, which employs 213 people on site.
«We have lost our work tool, it is a site where we prepare tailor-made orders for our customers, in catering and delivery,» said its president, Shaoul Abramczyk, to AFP.
«It’s a shock, but we are delighted that there are no injuries. We will not be able to honor orders from our employees from tomorrow (Monday) and for several days», he said. added.
In a press release, Stéphane Layani, the president of the Rungis market, assured his «solidarity» and his «support» for the company Les Halles Mandar.
«Even if the Rungis Market will resume its activities from (Monday) onwards, when a Market operator is the victim of a tragedy of this nature, it is the entire Market that is affected to its heart», he said. -he declares.
The firefighters advised, via their Twitter account, to avoid «travel in this sector» and to facilitate «the passage of relief».
The Rungis National Interest Market (MIN), the largest wholesale and fresh produce market in the world, covers 234 hectares. It is located seven kilometers south of Paris in the Val-de-Marne.
At the end of June, a fire broke out in the industrial zone of the market without causing any injuries or causing any immediate danger. A furnace fire broke out before spreading through a catalyst.