A violent explosion occurred at 10:15 EST this morning at the Grande Paroisse factory in Toulouse. The cause of the blast is not yet known.

Thierry Desmarest, President of TotalFinaElf, has visited the site together with François Cornélis, Vice-President of the Executive Committee and President of the Chemicals branch (Atofina), and Michel Perratzi, President of Grande Paroisse.

Thierry Desmarest stated:

" This explosion is an appalling tragedy. It is a sight of shocking devastation, like a vision of horror. My initial thoughts go to the victims and their families, as well as to all the people of Toulouse who have been struck by this tragedy. The Group will deploy all resources possible to show its solidarity with the families of the victims and the people of Toulouse, who are affected by the catastrophy.

The explosion was awful. As we speak, the final toll is not yet known, but it is likely to be heavy. We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to the emergency services and to the rescue teams who sprang into action immediately, with all their expertise. We do not yet know the cause of the blast, and an enquiry was launched immediately. We have also appointed our own internal commission of enquiry ".

An information unit for the victims' families has been set up at the Grande Paroisse head office in Paris. The telephone number of the unit is +33 (0)1 47 96 97 41.

In addition, a medical and psychological emergency unit is being set up in Toulouse to bring all possible assistance to the people concerned.

Experts from other Atofina factories in the region have joined forces with the Grande Paroisse rescue teams to assist them in the safety operations.

Finally, a 24-hour helpdesk will be set up from tomorrow morning, Saturday September 22, to allow people who have suffered loss or injury to come forward and receive advice on the appropriate course of action. The helpdesk telephone number is: +33 (0)5 62 24 01 72 and its fax is: +33 (0)5 62 24 01 71.