A large fire broke out in the fifth arrondissement after a gas explosion rocked Paris, France, Wednesday morning.
According to GMA Network, the gas explosion in the fifth arrondissement caused multiple buildings to catch on fire. A reporter for Yeshiva World News tweeted a video, showing the collapse of part of the Paris American Academy as a result of the explosion and fire.
French authorities have warned the public to avoid the area surrounding the fire. According to the Daily Mail, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin reported a fire on Rue Saint-Jacques, which is near the Jardin Du Luxembourg and Sorbonne University.
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The Paris Police Department has urged people to stay away from the area, CBS News reported.
CBS News reported that at least 16 people were injured in Wednesday’s explosion. At least 7 individuals have been reported to be in “critical condition, with Mayor Florence Berthout adding that four people are in “absolute emergency” condition following the explosion, according to Fox 8 News. “The explosion was extremely violent,” she said. CNN reported the presence of more than five teams of firefighters at the location and more than seven ambulances lined up on the street.
While the district mayor’s report of a gas leak as the cause of the explosion and fire have not yet been confirmed by fire officials, witnesses of the event reported smelling gas in the area prior to the explosion. Loubna Atta, a Paris police spokeswoman, has informed the public that it is “too early” to determine the fire’s source and that the police department “could not confirm” that it was started by a gas explosion.
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
