A gas explosion is suspected as a blast rips through the Latin Quarter of Paris. On Wednesday, a blast ripped through a street in the bustling Latin Quarter of central Paris, destroying a design school popular with international students, blowing out windows, and starting a massive fire.



The blast's cause cannot yet be determined, according to the Paris prosecutor's office.


But Edouard Civel, the local deputy mayor, mentioned a gas explosion in a tweet, and witnesses told BFM TV that there had been a strong gas smell just before the explosion.


Television images showed the Paris American Academy's debris scattered across the Rue Saint-Jacques, as well as smoke rising from at least two burning buildings nearby.


Khal Ilsey, an employee of a local bar, stated, "I heard a huge explosion." Additionally, I observed flames at the end of Rue Saint-Jacques as I left the restaurant.


The explosion occurred just as workers were heading home at 4:55 p.m. local time (14:55 GMT).


The emergency response involved more than 200 firefighters. Television images depicted firefighters manning hoses and directing water jets at the blaze amid a thick black smoke cloud.


Later, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez stated that the fire had been contained.


From the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral to the Sorbonne University and the Val de Grace military hospital, Rue Saint-Jacques in the 5th arrondissement of central Paris is just a few blocks away from the well-known Jardin du Luxembourg.


The region is generally loaded with travelers and unfamiliar understudies in the late spring.


Monique Mosser, an art historian, said, "I was at home writing... I thought it was a bomb." She also said that the blast's shockwave had destroyed many of the windows in her building.


“A neighbor came to the door and informed me that the fire department was requesting that we leave as soon as possible. I took my phone and laptop. I never even considered taking my medication.


In 2019, a gas leak led to an explosion in the 9th arrondissement that killed 4 people and injured 66. A fire started in the Notre Dame Cathedral in April 2019 and destroyed much of the roof and caused other damage before it was put out.