  In Xe+Sn central collisions from 12 to 20 MeV/A measured with the INDRA
4$\pi$ multidetector, the three-fragment exit channel occurs with a significant
cross section. In this contribution, we show that these fragments arise from
two successive binary splittings of a heavy composite system. Strong Coulomb
proximity effects are observed in the three-fragment final state. By comparison
with Coulomb trajectory calculations, we show that the time scale between the
consecutive break-ups decreases with increasing bombarding energy, becoming
compatible with quasi-simultaneous multifragmentation above 18 MeV/A.
