600 people attend memorial service after scaffolding collapse in Prilly VD

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• The victims of the collapse of scaffolding were commemorated at a memorial service in Prilly VD on Monday morning.
• On Friday, three people lost their lives when the scaffolding collapsed. Eight other people suffered injuries.
• Accompanied by classical music, the mourners gathered on the forecourt of the Vaudoise Arena at nine o'clock.

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Accompanied by classical music, the mourners gathered at nine o'clock on the forecourt of the Vaudoise Arena, the sports center in the immediate vicinity of the accident site. The General Manager of the Arena, Samira Marquis, opened the ceremony,

She said that "since that black Friday", the Vaudoise Arena had been "witness to suffering, bewilderment and confusion on the one hand, and heroism and courage on the other". "These are shared moments that we will keep in our hearts," she added.

"You have all our respect"

"The Malley Phare tower should have illuminated us (...) but it has darkened our presence and left many of us and of you in mourning," said the mayor of Prilly, Alain Gilliéron. "This tragic event has shocked us deeply and triggered emotions like no other," he added.

Terrifying images from Lausanne

Collapse of scaffolding claims three lives

Gilliéron paid tribute to the three deceased workers, expressed his condolences to the families affected and wished the injured a speedy recovery. He then turned to the victims' colleagues and the other workers on the construction site and wished them that they could continue working "in memory of your three friends" "despite the infinite sadness". "You have all our respect and much more," he continued.

The assembly held a prayer to the words of "Nos absents" by the poetry slammer Grand Corps Malade. Afterwards, Gilliéron and Marquis laid a wreath in front of the façade, at the foot of which a pile of rubble still lies. The assembly observed a minute's silence. Some people laid flowers and candles.

Lausanne city councillors Pierre-Antoine Hildbrand and David Payot as well as Felix Weber, head of Suva, owner of the "Malley Lumières" shopping center, attended the ceremony along with numerous workers, paramedics, police officers and residents of the area.

Cause still unclear

The accident occurred on Friday morning in the Malley district in the west of Lausanne when a 60-metre-high scaffolding collapsed for unknown reasons. The workers were busy building a 19-storey wooden residential tower called "Phare" ("lighthouse"). The accident caused great consternation in the region and beyond.

The cause of the accident was initially unclear. A public prosecutor from the special cases department launched an investigation. According to several witnesses and workers, a freight elevator that may have been carrying too heavy a load came loose and pulled the scaffolding down with it.

Safety work continued

The stores in the "Malley Lumières" shopping center remained closed on Monday and the area was still cordoned off. Work to secure and stabilize the scaffolding on the other three facades of the tower continued during the day.

"As long as the facades are not secured, we cannot reopen the site as there is a risk of collapse," Jean-Christophe Sauterel, spokesman for the Vaud cantonal police, told the Keystone-SDA news agency.

At the same time, the clean-up work continued. Particular care must be taken here. "We must be aware that the remains of the collapsed scaffolding constitute evidence that will be preserved for the purpose of the investigation," explained Sauterel.

However, both the evacuation and securing work should be completed during Tuesday, he added.