Explosion at Paris fashion school injures 37, cause under investigation

An explosion and subsequent fire occurred in central Paris’ 5th district at a building housing the Paris American Academy, a private fashion school, resulting in at least 37 people injured, with four in critical condition. Authorities are investigating the possibility of a gas leak as the cause of the explosion and are searching for at least two missing people. The incident prompted the mobilisation of 270 firefighters and 70 fire engines to control the situation.

The explosion shattered windows and caused damage to buildings more than 400 metres away. Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, expressed her condolences and wishes for the injured and their families through Twitter. Laurent Nuñez, the Paris Police Chief, stated that the fire, which broke out after the explosion, had been brought under control and the search for the missing people continued.

The fire was contained to the one building, and the firefighters were able to safely evacuate the residents of the area before the fire spread to the two buildings that were next to it. On the other hand, the building that houses the Paris American Academy was severely damaged, which may have an effect on the structural integrity of nearby buildings.

In other relevant news, a video that was posted online shows a young girl accidentally setting a fire with a hydrogen balloon while her mother uses a hairdryer. The video has received a great deal of backlash from internet users. The incident occurred in Jiayang, Guangdong province, China. The mother was criticised by a significant number of internet users for her hurried exit from the scene, as it appeared that she put her own safety ahead of that of her daughter. To read more click HERE.