On Wednesday, an explosion tore through a street close to Paris’ famed Latin Quarter. Rescuers were looking for two missing persons who they believed to be buried beneath the debris of a building that partially collapsed after the bomb.
At least 37 persons were hurt when the explosion occurred in the late afternoon on Rue Saint-Jacques, which connects the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral with the Sorbonne University. Four of those injured were in critical condition at the hospital.
How did the Paris blaze begin?
At 4:55 p.m. (14:55 GMT), the explosion happened as employees were leaving for the day. Although there were no initial signs that any foreigners were among the casualties, the location is frequently visited by tourists and international students in the early summer.
According to preliminary evidence, the explosion originated within the demolished structure, according to Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau. He said that investigators will check to see if any building conditions violated the law or if anybody had acted carelessly.
“I was writing at home… Monique Mosser, an art historian, stated, “I thought it was a bomb. The blast’s waves blew out several of the windows in my building.
“A neighbour came to the door and informed me that the fire department wanted us to leave as soon as possible. My phone and laptop were in my hand. I didn’t even consider going to obtain my medicine.
Has a body been discovered in rue Saint-Jacques by the sniffing dog?
Sniffing dogs discovered a smell under the pile of stone that had been spread out over Rue Saint-Jacques, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.
Nevertheless, the local deputy mayor, Edouard Civel, referenced a gas explosion on Twitter, and witnesses informed BFM TV that there was a strong gas odour just prior to the boom.
At the explosion site, Darmanin told reporters, “It is possible that we will find bodies tonight, or perhaps survivors.”
The Paris American Academy design school, which is well-known among international students, was housed in a building that had its exterior devastated by the explosion.
How many firefighters were involved?
More than 300 firemen worked together to put out the fires.
Rue Saint-Jacques connects the Latin Quarter, which has been home to numerous expatriate and French authors, singers, and artists over the years, to the Val de Grace military hospital and is just a few steps from the iconic Jardin du Luxembourg.
An explosion in the 9th arrondissement in January 2019 brought on by a gas leak left 4 persons dead and 66 wounded. A fire that started at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in April of that year resulted in significant roof damage and other problems before it was put out.
