Paris explosion: At least 37 people have been injured after a powerful explosion rocked a building in Paris’ Left Bank on Wednesday. According to a report by BBC, the blast took place in a building that housed a design school and the Catholic education system headquarters in the French capital.
Citing witnesses, the report claimed that there was a strong smell of gas before the blast. Although it was not apparent what lead to the blast, local deputy mayor Edouard Civel took to the microblogging site and claimed it was a "gas explosion".
270 firefighters deployed
Police said that as many as 270 firefighters and over 70 emergency vehicles were deployed in order to extinguish the flames. Taking to the social media platform, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said the building was initially engulfed by fire, but later, it was brought under control.
Notably, the massive explosion was reported at a time when the national capital's bars and restaurants celebrated the summer solstice with a citywide annual music festival.
Explosion site is popular among tourists and students
The area where the explosion took place runs south from the Latin Quarter in Paris's Left Bank area which is popular with tourists and known for its student population, according to BBC.
“It is possible that overnight we will find bodies or people alive,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said from the scene.
With more than 2 million people densely packed within the city limits and historic, sometimes ageing, infrastructure, Paris is not a stranger to gas explosions. A January 2019 blast in the 9th district killed four people and left dozens injured.
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