Radioactive gas forces evacuation

A FAMILY have been evacuated from their Limousin home after it was discovered large doses of the radioactive gas radon were present in the property.

The property, in Bessines-sur-Gartempe (Haute Vienne), north of Limoges had since 2000 been used as a home-care facility for 20 children from six families in the area.

The regional health agency said in a statement that the area is rich in uranium ore and has been mined for decades, and added that government departments had been informed, France 3 revealed in a local news report.

A check discovered the presence of “abnormal amount” of radon gas in the basement and other areas of the property. Radon is easily diluted in outdoor air but “may present risks to health”.

The level of radon gas has not been revealed, but it is said to have been “significantly higher than the maximum values” detected elsewhere in the region.

France 3 / screengrab