2024 – The rue d’Aubagne collapse: an avoidable tragedy in the heart of Marseille

A tragedy in the city centre

On 5 November 2018, two buildings in the centre of Marseille, at numbers 63 and 65 rue d’Aubagne, collapsed in a matter of seconds, burying eight people under the rubble.

While number 63 was empty and belonged to Marseille Habitat, number 65 housed several families. Weakened by the disaster, a third building was demolished as a matter of urgency by the emergency services, while the city was plunged into a major urban planning and political scandal.

A humanitarian crisis and a failing system

Faced with the risk of further collapses, the municipality ordered the evacuation of more than 4,500 residents, moving thousands of people out of their substandard homes. But urgency gave way to inertia. Hundreds of families lived for months in hotels. Three years later, 1,500 people were still in temporary accommodation.

The High Committee for the Housing of Disadvantaged People denounced a “humanitarian crisis”, blaming decades of municipal neglect. Under the mayoralty of Jean-Claude Gaudin (1995-2020), warnings about the dilapidated state of buildings had piled up without sufficient response.

Local elected officials were themselves involved in dubious practices: six LR councillors were singled out for renting or selling unfit housing.

A judicial investigation under pressure

In November 2018, a judicial investigation against persons unknown for “involuntary manslaughter” was opened. Three investigating judges were appointed.

In June 2020, a damning expert report concluded that the collapse had been caused by the failure of a structural post at number 65, revealing “serious failings” on the part of the municipality and several experts.

The first indictments took place in November 2020:

• Marseille Habitat,
• Julien Ruas, deputy mayor in charge of risks,
• Richard Carta, the expert who had inspected number 65,
• The Liautard firm, managing agent of the co-ownership.

Notably, no private owner was placed under formal investigation.

A decisive trial in 2024

The investigation closed in October 2023. The prosecution’s final submissions point to “characterised faults”, and the first defendants were tried in November and December 2024.

Among them:

• The chief executive of Marseille Habitat,
• Four owners, including Xavier Cachard, an LR regional councillor.

82 civil parties are involved in this crucial trial.

The fight against substandard housing

Since 2019, given the scale of the tragedy, the Marseille public prosecutor’s office has set up a unit dedicated to combating substandard housing, conducting dozens of investigations and securing the conviction of several slum landlords – some of them sentenced to prison.

Our commitment to the victims

Philippe Vouland, Brice Grazzini and Tom Bonnifay represent 27 victims and their families in this case.

As the trial approached, the challenge was to shed full light on who was responsible, obtain justice for the victims and prevent further tragedies in a city where substandard housing remains a daily threat.

➡ Read an article in Le Monde on the case (in French): https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2024/04/18/rue-d-aubagne-quatre-mis-en-examen-renvoyes-devant-le-tribunal-correctionnel_6228415_3224.html