One missing and four in critical condition after Paris blast

Jun 22, 2023

Rescue workers are still searching for a missing person after a massive explosion injured more than 30 people and levelled a building on Paris’s Left Bank.

Four people have been left in a critical condition after the blast on Wednesday, with French health minister François Braun saying some were suffering from severe burns.

One person who was feared missing has already been found.

Investigators are also looking to identify potential causes of the incident, as speculation continues to grow that a gas leak was responsible for the blast, which brought down the facade of a block near the historic Val de Grace military hospital in Paris’s fifth district.

Authorities are believed to be searching through the rubble of the building, that housed the Paris American Academy design school.

Some 270 firefighters attended the scene to tackle the resulting fire, which began after the blast around 4.55pm local time (3.55pm UK time).

This came as Paris bars and restaurants celebrated the summer solstice with a citywide annual music festival.

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Witnesses described a strong smell of gas on the ground before the explosion and local deputy mayor Edouard Civel referred to a gas explosion in a Twitter post.

However, Paris police spokeswoman Loubna Atta said it was too early to determine the source and could not confirm reports it was caused by gas. No further update has been provided as of yet.

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