“A brutal shock”: a Tarn farmer loses 3,000 lambs in one night due to a ventilation failure

This is an extremely rare accident that occurred on a farm in the Tarn region. 3,000 lambs died this weekend, asphyxiated after a ventilation system failed during a storm. The farmer from Saint-Jean-de-Marcel is in shock. On Saturday, in the middle of the night, a very localized storm hit Grégory's farm. “Lightning struck in the middle of the night, and it knocked out all the security and alarm systems.”

The ventilation system was also shut down. Inside, 4,000 lambs began to suffocate for several hours. It wasn't until early morning that Gregory realized the scale of the tragedy. "When he went to treat the animals the next morning, the shock was brutal," he said.

3,000 lambs were found dead, suffocated, 1,000 were rescued in this brand-new, compliant building. “Of the 99% of risks we assessed, we encountered an exceptional phenomenon, the 1% we couldn't anticipate.”

It is still too early to assess the damage, which affects the entire Tarn sector, because all these lambs, specifies this livestock manager, were intended to supply the French market.