Paris: A blast rippled through the streets nears Paris’ Historic Latin Quarter on Wednesday evening and rescuers are still searching two missing people feared buried under the rubble of the building that partially collapsed in the explosion.
The explosion tore through Rue Saint-Jacques, which runs from the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral to the Sorbonne University, injuring at least 37 people, four of whom are fighting for their lives in the hospital.
Eye witnesses reveal that there was a strong smell of gas before the explosion. Local deputy mayor, Edouvard Civel said that the cause of the blast was a gas explosion. However, the authorities still have to determine the cause of the explosion.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said after arriving at the scene that initial checks of camera footage suggested an explosion occurred within the building which was next to the Val de Grace church. The area has now been cordoned off and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has been to the scene with sniffer dogs to identify the victims in the wreckage.