A building collapses in Pointe-à-Pitre: a young worker killed and three people injured

A man in his twenties died in a building collapse Thursday afternoon in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. Three other people working inside the building were also injured, one seriously. The most seriously injured worker was taken to the University Hospital. The two other victims, with less serious injuries, managed to escape the rubble on their own before emergency services arrived. According to the prosecutor's office, the four people present at the construction site belong to the same family. The building, made of wood and stone, was undergoing demolition work prior to reconstruction to house private and commercial premises. A building permit had been issued in October 2025, but the building was also subject to an imminent danger order.

An investigation has been opened into the conditions of the construction site.

The Pointe-à-Pitre public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for "involuntary manslaughter and involuntary injuries at work." The investigation will determine the exact causes of the collapse and verify the conditions under which the demolition work was carried out. Investigators will notably have to establish whether the construction site had all the necessary safety measures in place and whether the particularly fragile state of the building had been properly taken into account. The existence of a building permit does not, in fact, exempt one from complying with the safety regulations applicable to demolition work. This tragedy highlights the worrying state of old buildings in Pointe-à-Pitre. Many dilapidated or abandoned buildings present risks of collapse and fire. Unsettled inheritances and jointly owned properties often complicate public interventions. Beyond the individual responsibilities that the investigation will have to establish, the accident underscores the urgent need for the long-term safety of buildings that threaten their occupants, workers, and local residents.