Four hurt as explosion rocks building in Paris; authorities probing cause of blast

A strong explosion hits a building in Paris’s Left Bank, leaving four people injured and igniting a fire that sent smoke soaring over the domed Pantheon monument and prompted the evacuation of buildings, police say. The cause of the blast is not immediately known.

The facade of a building in the 5th arrondissement, or district, collapsed and emergency services are working to determine if anyone was still inside, a Paris police official says.

Florence Berthout, mayor of the arrondissement, says four people were in “absolute emergency” condition.

“The explosion was extremely violent,” she says, describing pieces of glass still falling from buildings.

The neighborhood was cordoned off and scores of emergency workers filled the area.

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