Last minute: Edouard Civel, Deputy Mayor of the 5th District of Paris, stated on Twitter that an explosion occurred in the Val de Grace neighborhood due to a gas leak.
MANY TEAM DISPATCHED
A large number of firefighters and ambulances were dispatched to the scene. Police warned the public to stay away from the area. Edouard Civel, Deputy Mayor of the 5th District of Paris, stated that fire broke out in many apartments and urged the people of the region to stay away from the scene so that the firefighters could intervene.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin also announced on Twitter that the fire continued in Saint-Jacques Street in the region and firefighters were sent to the scene. While firefighters continue to work in the region, search and rescue efforts continue.
2 PEOPLE LOST
While the military hospital Val-de-Grâce was located in the area where the explosion took place, 29 people were injured in the explosion. While the emergency teams continue their work on the wreckage of the building, which partially collapsed, it is emphasized that at least 2 people are missing.
Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez noted that the explosion occurred in a building with a fashion school on Saint-Jacques Street. Nunez stated that a fire broke out due to the explosion, and that the firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to the additional 2 buildings by intervening in the fire.
Stating that these buildings were evacuated because they were affected by the explosion, Nunez said that the windows of many nearby houses were broken. Laurent Nunez noted that searches under the rubble continue and the fire is under control.
Paris Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau also said in a statement that according to the first information they have, the explosion occurred inside the building. Beccuau stated that an investigation was launched into the incident on the grounds of “unintentional injury”. (UAV-AA)
