Vernier school fire 'intense'

Tuesday, 11 July 2023 06:30

Vernier fire (c) SIS

Investigations into the fire which destroyed a school in Vernier are ongoing.

While what caused the fire is still unknown – its intensity is also a focus of attention.

A spokesman for the Geneva Fire Service says they’ve never seen such a fierce fire before.

It’s thought it may be because of the building cladding – which is designed to insulate and so save energy.

A comparison is being made with the Grenfell Tower disaster in London in 2017 which killed 72 people.

The school in Vernier was renovated five years ago. Some believe federal regulations on fire safety are too lax.

The cantonal Department of Territory says façade fires are becoming more frequent across the world and they’re known to be very hard to fight.

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