A fire ignited in Paris, which caused an explosion and injured at least 29 individuals on Wednesday. Four of the injured are in critical condition, while two remain missing, as confirmed by police authorities.

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The building where the explosion took place was on Rue Saint-Jacques in Paris’ fifth district. The building was used as the administration center for the Catholic educational system and a design school.

As authorities learned about the incident, a fire operation consisting of 70 fire vehicles and 230 firefighters was rushed to the scene. Before the explosion, there was a strong gas stench, according to eyewitnesses.

As reported by the local newspaper Le Parisien, Prosecutor Laure Beccuau of Paris reported that initial investigations, including a review of camera footage, suggested that the explosion happened within the structure next to the Val de Grâce church.

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Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said that the entire area has been cordoned off and the investigation regarding the incident is on. The structure was first engulfed in flames, but later on, firefighters were able to put out the fire, as per media outlets.

Multiple visuals and pictures of the incident surfaced on Twitter in no time. Several users reacted to the clips and expressed their concerns.

One user tweeted, “That is so sad. Heavenly Father please send help 🙏. Amen 🙏 Amen 🙏”

“Gas explosions can be massive. Seen a contractor break a line at a house and the explosion took out 4 houses,” another user tweeted.

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One eyewitness to the blast in a statement said, “I was in front of the Val de Grâce, I heard a huge boom and I saw a ball of fire 20 or 30m high. And the building collapsed with a huge noise. I smelled gas, but took several minutes to come to my senses.”, reported BBC.