37 people were injured in a major explosion in a building in the French capital Paris. Four of them are in critical condition.
The incident took place on Rue Saint-Jacques in central Paris. The building where the explosion occurred houses a design school and the headquarters of the Catholic Education System.
Emergency workers are carrying out rescue operations inside the wreckage of the building. At least two people are believed to be still missing.
According to witnesses, there was a strong smell of gas before the explosion.
After arriving at the scene, Paris prosecutor Laure Bequeu said that CCTV camera footage initially showed that the explosion took place inside the building. It was next to the Val de Grace church.
Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said the explosion initially caused a fire in the building but was brought under control.
In a report, the BBC said that the area around the incident site has been cordoned off. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin visited the scene.
He said more people could be found under the rubble.
“I was in front of the Val de Grace church when it happened,” a student at the Ecole des Mines on Boulevard Saint-Michel told Le Parisien. Suddenly I heard a huge explosion. I also saw a fire 20 or 30 meters high. I smelled gas, but it took me a few minutes to figure it out. ‘
Another witness, Antoine Bruchot, told the BBC he was at home at the time of the explosion. He heard a loud sound from there.
He said, I looked out of the window. Then I saw a big cloud of smoke. As I got out and approached, a building collapsed. In no time there was a fire.
