Three killed and dozens injured after huge explosion in Paris city centre
Three people have died and dozens more are injured following a huge explosion in central Paris this morning.
The explosion, which is thought to have been caused by a gas leak, took place at around 9am local time.
Interior minister Christophe Castaner said two firefighters have been killed and 10 people, including one firefighter, are in a critical condition. A further 37 people are being treated for serious injuries.
Spanish foreign minister Josep Borrell later said a Spanish citizen was killed in the blast, taking the death toll to three.
“I profoundly regret the death of three people in an explosion in central Paris, among them one Spanish citizen,” Borrell wrote in a tweet.
A previous report incorrectly stated four people had been killed.
The blast occurred in a bakery on Rue de Trevise in the city’s ninth arrondissement. Photos on social media show burned cars and debris littering the street.
“We still need to determine the circumstances and cause of the explosion but at this stage we can say it is clearly an accident, presumably a gas leak,” said Paris prosecutor Remi Heitz, according to Reuters.
#explosion #Paris9 rue de Trévise pic.twitter.com/IuXSor9tdP
— matthieucroissandeau (@croissandeau) January 12, 2019
In a post on Twitter Paris police said the fire brigade is on the scene, adding that people should avoid the area and allow emergency vehicles through.
“The situation is now under control,” Castaner told reporters earlier today.
https://twitter.com/MomesMolli/status/1083999067024154624
The incident comes during a state of high alert in Paris, which has seen its ninth consecutive weekend of yellow vest protests.
Police fired water cannon and tear gas in an attempt to disperse protesters from around the Arc de Triomphe this morning.
The French government is considering bringing in new legislation to crack down on unauthorised protests and the use of face masks.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said 80,000 police officers will be deployed this weekend to deal with the latest wave of protests, which began in November in response to a rise in fuel tax.
The explosion is not thought to be linked to the protests.