The number of injured in an explosion, caused by gas at the American Academy in Paris, followed by a fire, rises to 50, six of whom are in serious condition, says the Portuguese-French counselor in the French Chamber. capital, Brother Sanches.
“The new information points to 50 injured, six of which are of absolute urgency. Yesterday we had the situation of two missing persons and we continue with the doubt and, therefore, there is still work that is going very, very slowly”, says Brother Saches, in statements to TSF.
The violent explosion took place in the 5th arrondissement of the French capital, not far from Notre-Dame Cathedral, causing extensive damage to surrounding buildings and forcing ten people to relocate.
“The biggest concern is also overcoming the issue of accommodation and the ten most complicated cases that have already been resolved, both by the Chamber and by the accommodation centers”, advances the councilor.
The main challenges for the municipality now involve regularizing traffic in that area of the city, having already reopened the nearest train station, Port-Royal. Efforts are also focused on recovering the closest buildings and maintaining “what has to do with the local gas network and water network.”
Hermano Sanches also affirms that an “investigation of damages” has been opened so that the different brigades can begin an investigation, “knowing that the gas route is clearly the privileged one.”
Authorities are investigating the causes of Wednesday’s explosion at the building in central Paris, part of which collapsed, but the possibility of a gas leak is still considered the most likely cause of the incident.
According to the Paris Prosecutor’s Office, “a building caught fire and partially collapsed” on rue Saint-Jacques, a few streets from the Pantheon and the Luxembourg Garden.
The flames filled the sky with clouds of smoke, which hung over the city’s monuments and forced the evacuation of nearby buildings, a police official said.
French President Emmanuel Macron has already addressed a message of solidarity with the victims and their families.
“Right now we are still searching through the rubble and we must be very careful when doing so. On the other hand, we must also avoid speculating about the causes of this explosion,” Macron said.
Around 270 firefighters and nine doctors were mobilized to the place. According to Le Parisien, all the windows in the buildings near the three-story American Academy of Paris at 277 rue Saint-Jacques were blown out and the buildings were evacuated.
Source: TSF
