Powerful blast shakes street in centre of Paris

Firefighters carry an injured person after the explosion of a bakery on the corner of the streets Saint-Cecile and Rue de Trevise in central Paris on January 12, 20Image copyright
AFP

Image caption

Firefighters could be seen evacuating an injured person

Firefighters are tackling a blaze in a business in the centre of Paris after a powerful explosion which reportedly injured many people.

Cars were wrecked and other buildings damaged by the blast on Rue de Trévise in the 9th Arrondissement.

Police have asked people to stay away from the area, to allow emergency services access.

A gas leak is thought to have caused the explosion in a bakery, a French public radio journalist tweeted.

Paris and other French cities have been bracing themselves for a new round of anti-government protests by “yellow vest” demonstrators, with 80,000 police officers due to be on duty on Saturday.

source: bbc.com