River bank tragedy claims second life

A NINE-YEAR-OLD who was taken to hospital in Montpellier after a river bank collapsed in the Hérault on Sunday has died, it has been confirmed.

The child was with a group of five friends - aged between seven and 16 - playing on the banks of the River Lergue, near Ceyras, on Sunday when the sand wall collapsed on top of two of them.

The other children in the group raised the alarm with residents living nearby, but the older of the two trapped children, aged 12, was declared dead at the scene.

An post-mortem examination conducted yesterday confirmed death was caused by the “obstruction of the airways and lungs" by sand.

The nine-year-old was flown to hospital in Montpellier. Le Monde has reported that the child was confirmed dead this morning.

Yesterday, a geology study was made of the site. A report is expected in the coming days, said the prosecutor in Montpellier, Christophe Barret.

The mayor of Ceyras, which is about 40km west of Montpellier, has issued an order prohibiting access to the site where the tragedy took place.