Several people injured after blast rips through building in central Paris

A strong explosion ignited a blaze in central Paris on Wednesday that sent smoke soaring over the domed Pantheon monument and prompted the evacuation of buildings in the neighbourhood. Officials said 33 people were injured, four of them critically, while two more were missing, El.kz cites France24.

The explosion hit a design school popular with foreign students in the French capital's 5th arrondissment, or district, on the edge of the Latin Quarter, causing the building to collapse.

Rescue workers were in the evening still searching the rubble for two missing individuals who had not been accounted for, according to French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.

He told reporters at the scene that four seriously injured victims were in a life-threatening condition, while 33 others had sustained lesser injuries.

Florence Berthout, the mayor of the arrondissement, spoke of an "extremely violent" blast, describing pieces of glass still falling from buildings.

Police spokeswoman Loubna Atta said it was too early to determine the source of the fire and could not confirm reports it was caused by a gas explosion.

The blast occurred at 4:55 pm local time (1455 GMT), just as workers were heading home. Some 70 fire trucks and 270 firefighters were involved in the emergency response.

Firefighters could be seen manning hoses and aiming jets of water at the blaze while a plume of thick black smoke billowed into the sky.

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