Dozens injured by gas explosion at building in central Paris

A powerful gas explosion damaged a building in Paris’ Left Bank on Wednesday, injuring more than two dozen people and sparking a large fire, authorties said.  Paris officials told CBS News that as of 7:10 p.m. local time, there are 29 people injured. Four people are in “absolute emergency” and 25 are in “relative emergency.” 

Two people are also missing. The rubble of the damaged building is being searched.   

Police and a national government minister quickly urged people to avoid the area. 

Fire officials did not immediately confirm the district mayor’s statement that the explosion was caused by a gas leak, but witnesses reported smelling gas in the area before the blast.

Witnesses told France’s national BFM TV network and other outlets the blast had seriously damaged a building housing the Paris American Academy language school. BFM said it was unclear whether the initial blast had struck the academy or a neighboring building. Officials told CBS News that the blast had “weakened” neighboring buildings. 

About 20 families who lived in the building or in two neighboring buildings will be rehoused, officials told Le Parisien, a French daily newspaper. 

French news outlets said multiple buildings in the vicinity caught on fire after the explosion. Images from the scene showed firefighters appearing to have control of the blaze.

The Paris public prosecutor’s office and local services have mobilized victim support associations, officials said. 

Laure Beccuau, a Paris public prosecutor, told the Agence France-Presse that a legal investigation into the explosion was underway. 

“An investigation is now underway, as part of legal investigation that has been opened on the following charges: unintentional injury with the aggravating circumstance of deliberately endangering the lives of others,” Beccuau said. “I would stress that this charge was chosen because we felt it was the most appropriate on the basis of the evidence available at the time. There is nothing to prevent this classification from evolving, even if we have initial elements that lead us to confirm that this explosion originated in the building.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.