Arson destroys beach restaurant in Ajaccio as police investigate organized attack

Tuesday 11 August 2026 - 09:51

By: Sahili Aya

Arson destroys beach restaurant in Ajaccio as police investigate organized attack

A beach restaurant in Ajaccio, Corsica, was completely destroyed by fire overnight in what prosecutors believe was a deliberate attack.

The fire broke out between Monday and Tuesday at the Week-End beach restaurant on the Route des Sanguinaires. No injuries were reported, but the establishment was left entirely destroyed.

Ajaccio prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation, with the case being handled by judicial police investigators.

Authorities favor criminal motive

Prosecutors said the criminal hypothesis is currently the leading line of inquiry. The investigation was opened on suspicion of destruction using a dangerous means as part of an organized group, as well as the transportation of an incendiary substance.

The circumstances surrounding the fire have raised suspicions that the restaurant was deliberately targeted rather than damaged by an accidental blaze.

Police officers on patrol discovered the establishment engulfed in flames at around 3 a.m. Emergency services were subsequently mobilized to deal with the fire.

Witness reports suspect arriving on scooter

According to a police source, a witness reportedly saw a man arrive at the restaurant on a scooter before setting the building on fire and fleeing on foot.

The scooter was later found at the scene. Investigators believe it had been stolen and was fitted with false license plates. Its fuel tank was reportedly empty when it was recovered.

The evidence is expected to form part of the ongoing investigation into how the attack was carried out and who may have ordered or organized it.

Restaurant owners describe shock

Luc Leca, who runs the establishment with his twin brother, said surveillance footage showed two helmeted individuals setting fire to the restaurant.

The owners said they had not received threats before the incident. Leca described the situation as one of profound distress and said he could not understand why the restaurant had been targeted.

He suggested that jealousy could have been behind the attack, although investigators have not publicly established a motive.

A prominent location in Ajaccio

The Week-End restaurant is attached to a four-star hotel and is located along the Route des Sanguinaires, one of Ajaccio's well-known coastal areas.

Its destruction comes during the summer season, when Corsica's coastal restaurants and tourism businesses are particularly active.

Investigators are now working to identify the perpetrators and determine whether the attack was linked to a wider criminal network. The absence of injuries has not diminished the seriousness of the case, given the deliberate nature of the suspected attack and the complete destruction of the premises.