the distress of a quadriplegic tenant whose accommodation has been flooded for 10 days “There is water everywhere in my living room”
Following a fire, water flooded common areas and some apartments in a 13 Habitat residence in Marseille. For 10 days, one of the tenants of the building, a quadriplegic, has suffered helplessly from the flooding of her accommodation.
Water dripping from the ceiling, wet parquet, a smell of damp from morning to night, that’s the daily life of Virginie Lutun at the moment. The 57-year-old quadriplegic occupies an apartment in the Oratoire residence, in the 1st arrondissement of Marseille.
15 days ago, a fire started in an apartment on the floor above. A disabled man died in the flames.
The fire damaged the pipes in the building, causing flooding first in the common areas, then in some apartments. From Virginie Lutin at the water’s edge.
The apartment is damp, I’m afraid of mold.
Virginie Lutun, tetraplegic tenant
“I am disabled, I have a medical bed and I am afraid that it touches the electrical outlets, explains the tenant. There is water all over my living room. In the evening, the apartment is damp, I’m afraid of mold“,
This situation prevents the smooth running of his care. “My carers spend their time mopping the floor“, she adds.
video length: 15sec
The carer must put on mattress pads to try to mop up the wet floor.
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© Mariama
Laetitia El Mahdy takes care of Virginie Lutun on a daily basis. She is worried about her patient. “I’m very afraid that the water will go into his room. It’s dangerous. I myself fell twice“, says the life assistant.
Laetitia El Mahdy and Virginie Lutun face a social landlord who remains deaf to their complaints. “They tell us: we have to wait. But no one came to see the situation“, assures the auxiliary of life.
Contacted by the editorial staff, 13 Habitat recognizes the flooding problem: “Water leaks were observed in the building, but the investigations to find the origin of these leaks were disrupted, report of the opening of a judicial inquiry into the death, having restricted access to the house burned down.“
“Decision was made to temporarily cut off the water to avoid water damage, but the water supply was reactivated a priori against the advice of 13 Habitat by one or more tenants; hence the infiltrations and floods currently suffered“, they added.
13 Habitat has identified the source of the problem in an apartment. The lessor indicates that the tenant being absent, it will not be possible to intervene before his return next Tuesday. Virginie Lutin will have to be patient until then.