An explosion took place in Paris, in the 5th arrondissement of the capital, Wednesday June 21, around 5 p.m. The explosion occurred in a building which notably houses the Paris American Academy, a private school of design and fashion, at 275-277 rue Saint-Jacques. The facade collapsed on the road. Two people are wanted in the rubble, the prosecution said. Present at the scene of the explosion on Wednesday evening, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, gave an updated provisional report and mentioned 33 injured in relative emergency and four in absolute emergency, with “the vital prognoses engaged”.
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Two people missing. two people are reported missing. “We are not sure” on their disappearance, but the dogs used by the firefighters for the searches “scored”, explained Gérald Darmanin in the evening. “It is possible that we will find bodies or living people tonight”, he warned again. Concerning the collapsed building, the Minister specifies that he “presented no particular difficulty” and adds that we “don’t know the origin” from the explosion.
Emmanuel Macron sends “his thoughts” to the victims. “Above all, I wanted to have a thought for those who were hit by the explosion that happened just a few hours ago in Paris”, declared the Head of State, at the Elysée where concerts are held on the occasion of the music festival. The President thanked “the emergency services that have mobilized”.
The fire is contained. Laurent Nuñez, the prefect of police, announces that the fire, which broke out following the explosion, is now contained. Research continues in the rubble, he adds.
A building classified as a “Historic Monument”. The Paris American Academy is a private school of fashion and design, whose facade adjoins the Val de Grâce in the 5th arrondissement, was a listed building “Historic Monument” since 1932, according to the Ministry of Culture. He is described as a “building at an angle to the Val-de-Grâce courtyard, with the exception of the pavilion located in the passage”. The building housed a school founded in 1965 by Richard Roy, according to its official website. The school offered three-year courses.
An investigation opened for involuntary injuries. An investigation has been opened for unintentional injuries with the aggravating circumstance of “deliberate endangering the lives of others”, specified the public prosecutor of Paris.
Two neighboring buildings evacuated. The firefighters have “prevented the spread of the fire to two adjoining buildings which were seriously destabilized by the explosion” And “were evacuated”, detailed the prefect of police of Paris.