Seven people are in a critical condition and nine more are injured after a large explosion in the Latin Quarter of central Paris, police have said.
The blast set buildings on fire, left rubble strewn across a street, and sent a plume of black smoke across the French capital.
Interior minister Gerald Darmanin said there was a blaze on Rue Saint-Jacques in Paris’s fifth arrondissement, close to the Jardin Du Luxembourg and Sorbonne University.
Florence Berthout, the mayor of the fifth arrondissement, has said the cause of the fire was a gas explosion.
However, Paris police spokeswoman Loubna Atta said it was too early to determine the source of the fire and could not confirm reports it was caused by gas.
French police secure the area after the explosion
Mr Berthout said those critically injured were in an “absolute emergency” condition.
“The explosion was extremely violent,” she said, describing pieces of glass still falling from buildings.
A police official said the facade of one building had fallen onto the street as a result of the explosion, and that many firefighters and members of the police force were attending to the scene.
BFM TV showed fire services trying to hose down a building and Parisians posted images on Twitter of a huge plume of smoke that was visible across much of the city.
Police are also urging people to avoid the area.
A police officer stands by a damaged window after the blast. Pic: AP
French news channel BFM TV showed fire services trying to hose down a building and Parisians posted images on Twitter of a huge plume of smoke that was visible across much of the city.
Journalist Olivier Galzi told the channel that he had seen the facade of a nearby building “completely collapse”.
“This is chaos,” said Christopher Gaglione, who said he witnessed the scene.
Police have urged people to avoid the area.
