The CEO of Air Products has said in a statement he is “horrified and saddened” by Friday’s terrorist attack on the company’s gas plant near the city of Lyon located in the south east of France.
On Friday a 35-year-old man caused a blast in the US-owned plant by ramming his car into an area containing flammable liquids.
One man was decapitated and two were injured during the explosion which took place at 09:35 local time (07:35 GMT).
Soon after the attack, French authorities and emergency services arrived on site, contained the situation, and secured the site, said the US-based company which owns the facility.
It added that all individuals working at the site were evacuated, while its crisis and emergency response teams were activated and are currently working closely with the involved authorities.
Seifi Ghasemi, the chief executive of Air Products, said: “I am horrified and saddened by the attack on our facility in France.
“I believe I speak for all of our Air Products family around the world in expressing our deepest sympathies to the family of the victim of this unspeakable act.
“My heart also goes out to the people who work at the site and their families. This incident reinforces that we all need to take safety and security very seriously, every day, and remain vigilant in everything we do. I am very glad to know that all of our employees are safe and accounted for.”
The company said it continues to cooperate with French authorities on the investigation, which saw four people being arrested in relation to the attack.
Air Products is an industrial gases company that serves the refining and petrochemical and natural gas liquefaction markets.
