At least 16 people were injured in the explosion
A powerful explosion blew out the facades of multiple buildings in Paris on Wednesday, causing multiple casualties. Local officials say the blast was caused by a gas leak.
The blast ripped through a street in Paris’ upscale 5th Arrondissement on Wednesday afternoon, leaving the road strewn with rubble. Flames poured from broken windows and a column of black smoke could be seen from several kilometers away.
In a post on Twitter, local elected official Edouard Civel said that a “gas explosion” had occurred, and called on the public to avoid the area while firefighters worked to extinguish the resulting blaze.
At least seven people were critically hurt and nine others suffered more minor injuries, France’s BFMTV broadcaster reported. The network noted that these figures were based on “a very provisional assessment” of the situation.
One witness who manages a restaurant near the blast site told BFMTV that his building was “destroyed.” The structure is “completely in flames,” the witness said, adding that the explosion “destroyed the facades” of other nearby businesses.
Video footage shows the Paris American Academy – a leading fashion design school – completely leveled and on fire. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the explosion originated within the academy building.
