AND HERE IS THE NEWS…

….a quick glance at the latest local news with Caroline Manson

Fire in Villelongue-dels-Monts

On Saturday afternoon, a fire broke out in scrubland between Villelongue-dels-Monts and Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines.  Due to the unusual weather conditions (the hot and very strong Foehn wind was blowing) the fire very quickly spread out of control and threatened to approach residences so 20 homes were evacuated.  The D618 was closed to traffic in both directions as 340 firefighters, 7 Canadairs, 2 Dash (surveillance planes) and 3 helicopters were mobilised to fight the flames.  There was also the unusual sight of an air coordination aircraft called a Bengal. The fire was eventually contained in the early hours of Sunday morning, but not before destroying 31 hectares.  Two firefighters were hospitalised and 2 gendarmes treated for smoke inhalation.  The fire is being treated as ‘suspicious’ as two fires started in the same area in the previous two days – and there have been 5 other ‘suspicious’ fires in the department during the past week.

26 year old man stabbed in Perpignan

Alerted by a young woman, services were called to a residence in Parc Ducup in Perpignan where they found a young man lying on his doorstep with stab wounds to his chest.  He was transported to hospital but sadly died of his wounds.  Police immediately arrested the 23 year old woman who declared that it was an accident following a marital dispute.  Following questioning she was arrested and sent to Perpignan prison to await trial.  The young man, whose parents live in Pollestres, was an electrician and had no criminal record.  He and his partner had been together just for a short time.

Canet restaurant closed following hygiene inspection

La Petite Brasserie, one of the many busy restaurants on Place Méditerranéé, has been ordered to close following a second visit by health inspectors. They were first inspected in July and informed that their standards were not satisfactory, but were given permission to stay open during the summer season provided they comply with the standards.  During a second inspection it appeared that they had not complied and that several shortcomings relating to hygiene were still noted, so the authorities have insisted that they now close until standards are improved.  The Brasserie has received several bad reviews on Google and currently has a rating of just 2.4 out of 5.  In recent months the Préfecture has decided to strengthen hygiene controls in the department’s restaurants and have already forced the closure of restaurants in Argelès-sur-Mer and Ossséja.

Cyanobacteria alert in River Tech

At the beginning of the summer , cyanobacteria was found in Lake Raho and it was immediately announced that swimming, fishing and bathing would be prohibited.  This ban has now been lifted but levels of toxic cyanobacteria have now been found in the river Tech, from the municipality of Ortaffa down to the sea.  People are now advised to avoid any of the waterways or lakes around the towns of Ortaffa, Palau-del-Vidre, Elne and Argeles-sur-Mer, up to the Bocal du Tech.  Cyanobacteria can be toxic to humans but is particularly dangerous for animals – so dogs should be kept away.  Signs to look out for in the water are biofilms (submerged green/black sticky ‘plates’ on the surface of pebbles) and flocs (floating clusters with a viscous sticky appearance). They can accumulate in large numbers in areas of calm water, often mixed with vegetation, algae or mosses.

Man hit by train

Early on Thursday morning a man was hit by a train on the line between Argelès-sur-Mer and Collioure.  All traffic on the Perpignan-Port-Bou line was interrupted as rescuers attended the scene.  The victim is said to have been a man in his thirties and was found unconscious at the scene from where he was taken to Perpignan hospital.  The train was empty of any passengers, with only the driver on board.  The circumstances of this collision are as yet unknown.    

And finally……

A couple were spending Sunday afternoon on the Marenda beach at Canet when the woman noticed that her husband had not returned from his swim.  Fearing that he had drowned she alerted the authorities and a search and rescue mission was organised involving the life-guards, divers and a helicopter.  The 60 year old man was eventually found sitting calmly at a nearby beach-club, having forgotten to mention to his wife that he was going for a stroll. The article does not clarify whether or not he was holding a cool refreshing beer, nor what happened once his wife was reunited with him…