The evacuation took place in the Saint-Jacques neighborhood, in the center of Perpignan (south-eastern France), where the man, identified by the local press as Alain, had lived in unsanitary conditions and among waste for at least a year.

The operation lasted almost four hours and required the intervention of more than 50 people, including health personnel, city hall workers and employees of the crane company that was necessary to remove the man from his home, inside a cargo container with capacity for one hundred tons.

Already from this Monday the city had to anticipate the intervention, removing urban furniture and prohibiting parking in the surroundings of the building.

His neighbors also had to leave the building at the risk of the operation, which has forced to tear down part of the facade to access the interior.

After being evacuated, Alain was directed by the health services to the Montpellier University Hospital, where he has to undergo several health checks before undergoing surgery, although his admission could last for several weeks.

Once he has recovered, he will be transferred to a clinic specializing in this type of pathology near Toulouse to continue treatment.

I have not slept tonight, but at least now I will stop suffering, Alain told the regional daily L'Indépendant.

The protagonists of this epic intervention considered that the mission was successfully completed.

At the moment, Alain is well and under analgesics so as not to feel pain, said one of the doctors, who explained that the patient had a "proactive" attitude at all times.