An explosion rocked the streets of Paris this morning. A gas leak was the official cause of an explosion that flipped over nearby cars, and left a Paris block looking like a war-zone, more-so than usual. The blast claimed the lives of 2 firefighters and a Spanish national, and injured more than 50 others leaving a dozen in critical condition. With the Yellow Vest Movement set to engage in a massive withdrawal of assets from the banking system during Acte IX, it seems Paris is on the brink of both economical and sociological collapse.
Paris bakery explosion aftermath - street view showing blast damage
Tragedy in Paris
Destruction for blocks as a massive explosion levels the ground floor of a downtown Paris bakery. The official report states that 2 firefighters were responding to a gas leak alert at roughly 9:00am local time, when the gas line exploded killing both firefighters and a Spanish national on holiday. Reports of more than 50 others were injured in the blast, leaving a dozen of them in critical condition. Cars could be seen flipped over and burned on the street around the bakery, and windows were blown out of apartments all along the streets.
"I was sleeping and woke up by the blast wave," Claire Sallavuard, who lives on the Rue de Trevise, said. "All the windows in the apartment exploded, doors were blown off their hinges, I had to walk on the door to leave the room, all the kids were panicking, they couldn't get out of their room,"
Rescuers were eventually able to reach the second floor with a ladder and evacuate the family.
First responders worked throughout the morning to extinguish the blaze caused the blast and evacuate victims from the area. How ever French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner says that the situation is now under control and are urging people to avoid the area for the obvious reasons.
Emergency responders at the Paris bakery explosion site
Damage to surrounding buildings from the Paris bakery explosion
Rue de Trevise in Paris following the gas line explosion, January 2019
Overturned and burned vehicles outside the Paris bakery following the explosion
Sources & Methodology(2 sources)
Deutsche Welle news report on the January 12, 2019 Paris bakery explosion.
- We Are Change - YouTube CoverageVideo / Audio
Video journalism coverage of the Paris Yellow Vest protests and bakery explosion.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What caused the Paris explosion on January 12, 2019?
- A gas leak at a bakery on Rue de Trevise in central Paris triggered a massive explosion. Firefighters had responded to a gas leak alert at approximately 9:00am local time when the gas line detonated, killing two first responders and a Spanish national on holiday.
- How many people were killed and injured in the Paris bakery explosion?
- Two firefighters and a Spanish national on holiday were killed in the blast. More than 50 others were injured, with a dozen left in critical condition. Cars were flipped and windows blown out in the surrounding blocks.
- What is Acte IX of the Yellow Vest Movement?
- Acte IX refers to the ninth consecutive weekend of Yellow Vest (Gilets Jaunes) protests across France. During this weekend the movement also called for a mass withdrawal of funds from French banks as an act of economic resistance against the Macron government.
- What were the Yellow Vests planning during Acte IX alongside the street protests?
- The Yellow Vest Movement called for a mass bank withdrawal during Acte IX, encouraging supporters to collectively pull their savings from French financial institutions as a form of economic disruption and protest against the government.