A massive gas explosion, followed by a fire, set several buildings on fire and injured at least 16 people, nine of them seriously, in Paris’ fifth arrondissement, in the center of the city.
The fire caused part of the building of the Paris American Academy, a fashion and design school in the French capital, to collapse and mobilize several emergency and emergency services in the center of the French capital.
Footage shared on social media shows buildings on fire and a dense cloud of smoke.
Unite hugely #explosion The #Paris ! Tout un quartier destroyed. Video sent to a friend. pic.twitter.com/7nA9T6qCwL
– Matt (@Namat_12) June 21, 2023
Explosion in the 5th arrondissement of Paris? pic.twitter.com/ueLfVnXLZM
– Matthias Benda (@bendamat) June 21, 2023
The local press called the incident a “violent explosion”.
Paris mayor Florence Berthout told BFMTV that “there was a big explosion and shards of glass are falling everywhere,” after she was forced to cut short the interview to leave the place.
The Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, asked that travel to the scene of the fire be avoided.
Authorities have cordoned off the area.
Un incendie est en cours rue Saint-Jacques, in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. Les sapeurs-pompiers de Paris interviennent. Merci de ne pas gêner leur intervention en d’éviter le secteur.@prefpolice @PompiersParis
– Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) June 21, 2023
on update
Source: DN
