PARIS: Twenty-nine people have been wounded, four of them critical, following a large blast in central Paris, BBC reported on Wednesday.
The explosion occurred in a compound that housed a design school and education system headquarters in Rue Saint-Jacques, in the French capital city.
29 Wounded in Paris Blast
Emergency officials said that rescue workers are searching through the debris of the building, with at least two persons thought to be missing. According to eye witnesses, there was a strong smell of gas before the explosion. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said following arriving at the site that initial checks of camera footage showed the blast occurred within the compound, which was next to the Val de Grâce church, local press reported.
However, the officials have said that the cause of the explosion has not yet been ascertained. The building was originally engulfed by fire, but the flash was later brought under control, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said.
The site has been cordoned off and the mayor of the city, Anne Hidalgo, rushed to the building, while Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has asked the people to avoid the area.
