An explosion probably provoked by gas in the center of Paris and the consequences are serious: 29 people were injured, of which four are in serious condition. There are two more lost under the rubble.
The explosion occurred in a building housing a design school and the headquarters of the Catholic education system on Rue Saint-Jacques. Emergency responders are searching through the rubble of the building as at least 2 people are believed to be under it. According to witnesses, there was a strong smell of gas before the explosion.
The Paris prosecutor said at the scene that initial checks of security camera footage show that the explosion took place inside the building. However, authorities say the cause of the explosion has not yet been determined. The building caught fire, but the flames were later brought under control. The area has been cordoned off and the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has gone to the scene.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has warned people to avoid the area. The area where the explosion occurred is popular with tourists and popular with its student population.
One student told Le Parisien: “I was in front of the Val de Grâce. I heard a big boom and saw a ball of fire 20 or 30 meters high. The building collapsed with a loud bang. I smelled gas, but it took me a few minutes to come to."
Another witness, Antoine Brouchot, told the BBC he was at home when he heard a "huge explosion". “I put my head out of the window and looked towards Cochin (hospital). Then I saw a big cloud of smoke and as I got closer, there was a building that had collapsed and was on fire at the moment."