"No evidence of attack in Paris airport roof collapse"

Sunday, May 23, 2004

5 killed when Paris airport roof collapses
The Associated Press


ROISSY, France - The vaulted roof of the new, showcase terminal at
Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport - touted as a jewel of design, safety
and comfort - collapsed early Sunday, killing at least five people and
forcing authorities to revisit problems that preceded the fanfare
opening of Terminal 2E less than a year ago.

There were some cracking sounds and some dust, and then tons of
concrete, steel and glass came crashing down on a waiting area inside
the gleaming terminal. The 98-foot section of roof fell just before 7
a.m. as passengers were starting to arrive.
 
Officials said there was no sign a terror attack caused the collapse. Of
those confirmed dead, one was Chinese and the other four also were
apparently foreigners, said Michel Clerel, chief doctor of Aeroports de
Paris, which runs the airport.

Rescue workers sent dogs to sniff for victims buried under the pile of
twisted steel, boulders of concrete and shattered glass. Officials said
there might also be a sixth person killed, and that the victims were
probably passengers.

The chief doctor also said three people were injured - all of them
police called to the scene when signs of trouble appeared.

"Witnesses heard a cracking and noticed cracks in the ceiling and saw
dust falling," said Pierre Graff, president of Aeroports de Paris.
"They, of course, ran away. Police arrived and began evacuating people."

Within about two to three minutes, the roof collapsed, said Rene Brun,
director of Charles de Gaulle.

An Air France flight had arrived from Newark, N.J., just ahead of the
collapse and another from Johannesburg, South Africa. A third plane was
taking off for Prague. Michel Sappin, prefect for the Seine-Saint-Denis
region, where Roissy is located north of Paris, said there was only a
moderate number of passengers in the terminal at the early hour.

"It looks pretty bad out there," said Amy Haight, 30, arriving later
from Houston with her husband, Nelson, for a friend's wedding. She said
she saw the collapsed building and dozens of rescue vehicles as her
plane landed. "It's so sad, it's so scary. My God, we're so lucky."

The futuristic, cylindrical terminal sits on pylons, and when the roof
fell it pulled down outer walls and crashed through a boarding ramp onto
several parked cars below.

President Jacques Chirac asked that investigators quickly determine the
cause of the collapse. Two separate probes were being opened. Transport
Minister Gilles de Robien said there was nothing to indicate a terrorist
attack.

The terminal, a tunnel-shaped construction that is hundreds of yards
long, was evacuated and immediately shut down, delaying scores of
flights. The terminal mainly serves Air France.

"The consequences are obviously grave for us since we have to manage the
movement of planes with one less terminal, grave in terms of image since
this was our showcase jewel," said Pierre Graff, president of Aeroports
de Paris, which runs Paris' airports.

The tragedy comes as France braces for the influx of summer tourists.

The $890 million terminal, with slots for 17 aircraft, opened to the
public last June 25 after at least two construction delays. The French
television station LCI said the delays were caused by safety issues.

Also, a huge light fixture fell in the departure area as inspectors were
checking the facility before its opening, and there were leaks in the
ceiling, said Brun, the airport director.

Still, he and other officials said the problems were not structural.
"There were never signs of cracks or other major abnormalities," Brun
said.

The terminal was designed for a capacity of 10 million passengers per
year. Its distinctive vaulted ceiling is honeycombed with hundreds of
square windows that bathe the area inside with sunlight.

Hundreds of rescue workers rushed to the scene and temporary hospitals
were set up on the tarmac and inside the terminal.

"We're working in extremely difficult conditions," said Interior
Minister Dominique de Villepin, adding that earthquake-style rescue
operations were used in combing through rubble for victims.

Attached Photo's:

Firefighters search the debris of the 2E passenger terminal at Charles
de Gaulle airport after a section of the roof collapsed, killing several
people, north of Paris, Sunday.

Debris of the 2E passenger terminal after a section of the roof
collapsed. The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

Firefighters and investigators inspect the debris of the 2E passenger
terminal at Charles de Gaulle airport. The terminal was opened just 11
months ago after at least two construction delays.

A firefighter walks past the debris of the 2E passenger terminal at
Charles de Gaulle airport after a section of the roof collapsed, killing
several people. 

Police officers guard the tarmac outside the 2E passenger terminal at
Charles de Gaulle airport where a section collapsed, rear, killing
several people Sunday.

Firefighters carry an empty stretcher through the debris of the 2E
passenger terminal at Charles de Gaulle airport Sunday.

File photo shows the interior of the 2E passenger terminal of airport in
February. A large portion of the vaulted roof caved in Sunday.

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