Explosion hits a building in Paris, injuring 24. Police are trying to determine the cause

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In Paris’ Left Bank, a powerful explosion struck a building on Wednesday, resulting in 24 individuals being injured and causing a fire that sent smoke billowing over iconic city landmarks. Surrounding buildings were evacuated as authorities worked to determine the cause of the blast.

According to a Paris police official, the facade of a building in the 5th arrondissement, or district, collapsed, and emergency services were engaged in assessing whether anyone remained trapped inside. The explosion occurred in close proximity to the historic Val de Grace military hospital.

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez revealed that the building affected by the explosion was the Paris American Academy, a private school established in 1965. This institution offers courses in fashion design, interior design, fine arts, and creative writing.

Although the fire had been contained, it had not yet been fully extinguished. Approximately 270 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the flames, and 70 emergency vehicles were present at the scene.

A Paris police official informed The Big Big News that out of the 24 injured individuals, four were in critical condition while the others sustained less severe injuries. Most of the injuries occurred when people were knocked off their feet by the force of the explosion.

Authorities from the 5th arrondissement attributed the blast and subsequent fire to a gas leak. District Mayor Florence Berthout described the explosion as “extremely violent,” noting that fragments of glass were still falling from buildings.

The Paris prosecutor initiated an investigation into aggravated involuntary injury, aiming to determine if the explosion resulted from a suspected violation of safety regulations. Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau stated that the probe would examine whether any rules were disregarded or if individual negligence led to the explosion.

Firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to two adjacent buildings, which were significantly destabilized by the blast and subsequently evacuated. Witnesses and the police chief reported several shattered windows in the vicinity.

By Wednesday evening, visible smoke was no longer rising from the affected building. Although sirens still echoed through the neighborhood as ambulances passed by, residents gradually resumed normal movement on rue Saint-Jacques, a street that had been cordoned off earlier.

A student attending the private school recounted being in a building approximately 100 meters away from the explosion. The student, identified only as Achille, mentioned being near a windowsill and being propelled a short distance by the blast, experiencing intense fear. He further explained that upon descending from the building, they witnessed the flames and promptly evacuated with valuable assistance from the police.

Given its dense population of over 2 million people and its historical infrastructure, which sometimes shows signs of aging, Paris has encountered gas explosions in the past. In January 2019, a blast in the 9th district resulted in the loss of four lives and numerous injuries.

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Contributions to this report were made by AP writer John Leicester in Paris.

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