22-6-2023 (PARIS) A large explosion in central Paris has left 37 people injured, with four sustaining serious injuries. The blast occurred in a building that housed a design school and the Catholic education system headquarters on Rue Saint-Jacques, in the fifth arrondissement of the French capital. Emergency workers are currently searching through the wreckage of the building, with at least two individuals presumed missing.
Witnesses reported a strong odor of gas before the explosion, and Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, who arrived at the scene shortly after the incident, stated that initial camera footage checks suggested that the explosion happened within the building, which was next to the Val de Grâce church. However, the cause of the explosion has not yet been determined by authorities.
#Explosion in #Paris. Shook my entire apartment. I hope all inside are okay, police and fireman showed up soon afterwards. Media has my permission to use if desired. pic.twitter.com/H35toQv0Sx
— Amanda (@merybrodie) June 21, 2023
The building was initially engulfed by a fire, which was later brought under control according to Paris police chief Laurent Nunez. The area has been cordoned off, and Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin was present at the scene. Sniffer dogs have been deployed to identify any additional victims who may be trapped under the rubble.
The site of the explosion, located south of the Latin Quarter in Paris’s Left Bank area, is popular with tourists and known for its student population. A student at Ecole des Mines on Boulevard Saint-Michel reported hearing a “huge boom” and seeing a “ball of fire” 20 or 30 meters high. Another witness, Antoine Brouchot, said he heard a “big explosion” from his home and saw a “building that had collapsed” with a fire.
