The number of people who died after a suspected gas leak triggered an explosion at a bakery in Paris has risen to four.

Two firefighters and a Spanish woman were killed, while 10 people were in a critical condition and 37 others suffered less serious injuries.

The body of a fourth person was discovered among the rubble of the bakery.

The Spanish woman was apparently a tourist who was staying in a hotel near the bakery where the explosion took place.

Firefighters tackle bakery blaze

France's Prefecture de Police said the blast occurred in Rue de Trevise, in the 9th arrondissement, north-central Paris.

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Several buildings in the surrounding area were damaged and pictures of the scene showed a large amount of debris strewn in the street, about a mile north of the Notre-Dame cathedral.

Windows were blasted out of neighbouring shops and apartments and cars were overturned. Broken glass was seen scattering the pavements nearby.

Destruction for blocks after an explosion on rue de trévise pic.twitter.com/GsrLqyasQA — Emily Molli (@MomesMolli) January 12, 2019

Pictures showed at least one casualty on a stretcher being taken away by emergency services from the scene, where about 200 firefighters were in attendance.

Sky's Alistair Bunkall, who was at the scene of the blast, said: "The Pompiers and the Gendarmerie are here in large numbers. It's pretty chaotic at the moment, in terms of the cordon and what went on.

"A bakery might suggest it is a gas explosion but when you have Paris on high alert here, because of the Gilets Jaunes protests - police are out in the thousands - it really adds to the complexity of what is already a highly charged policing operation.

"Lots of reports of casualties but whether the reports of fatalities are accurate, we don't know yet."

Image: A woman is evacuated by firefighters from an apartment after anexplosion in a bakery

A tourist who was in the street at the time with a group of others said: "In the middle of nothing, I heard this big explosion.

"A lot of pressure came out of it, a lot of black smoke and glass. I just had time to get down and cover myself and my head. I felt a lot of things fall on me.

"I was in panic. Fortunately, I know my hotel well, so I ran. I don't know what I stepped on. I just ran.

"I've spoken to my clients and a few of them got injured in the head. They were bleeding."

Image: An injured man is evacuated on a stretcher by firefighters

Interior minister Christophe Castaner said: "The toll appears to be high, and severe."

Police have closed off streets the Opera theatre in order to land two helicopters in the street, apparently to evacuate victims.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said many residents and tourists have been evacuated from neighbouring buildings and hotels and the city was providing temporary accommodation for those affected.

Meanwhile, more than 50 people were arrested during a ninth straight weekend of "yellow vest" protests against French President Emmanuel Macron's economic reforms.

Police fired water cannon and tear gas to repel Gilets Jaunes demonstrators who gathered around the Arc de Triomphe monument. Some activists were detained for carrying objects that could be used as weapons.

Thousands of protesters also marched noisily but peacefully through the Grands Boulevards shopping area in northern Paris close to the site of the bakery explosion.</s>Several people have been injured in an explosion and fire at a bakery suspected to be caused by a gas leak, according to Paris police.

A Paris police spokeswoman said firefighters were at the scene of the explosion on Saturday morning at the bakery on Rue Trevise in the 9th arrondissement of north-central Paris.

She said several injuries have been reported to police but no deaths. Not authorised to be publicly named, she provided no further details.

French television showed emergency vehicles surrounding the area. Images shared on social media showed the area around Rue De Montyon covered in debris with a fire raging in at least one building.

The explosion took place amid heavy security in Paris and around France in the wake of yellow vest protests expected later on Saturday.</s>PARIS (AP) — Paris police say several people have been injured in an explosion and fire at a bakery believed caused by a gas leak.

A Paris police spokeswoman said firefighters are currently at the scene of the blast Saturday morning at the bakery on Rue Trevise in the 9th arrondissement of north-central Paris. She said several injuries have been reported to police but no deaths. The spokeswoman, who wasn’t authorized to be publicly named, provided no further details.

The explosion came amid heavy security in Paris and around France for yellow vest protests expected later Saturday.</s>Firefighters work at the scene of a gas leak explosion in Paris, France, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. Paris police say several people have been injured in an explosion and fire at a bakery believed caused by a gas leak. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

PARIS (AP) — A powerful explosion and fire apparently caused by a gas leak at a Paris bakery Saturday injured several people, blasted out windows and overturned cars, police said.

Firefighters pulled injured victims out of windows and evacuated residents as smoke billowed out over Rue de Trevise in the 9th arrondissement of north-central Paris.

Witnesses described the overwhelmingly sound of the blast and people trapped inside nearby buildings. Charred debris and broken glass covered the pavement around the apartment building housing the bakery, which resembled a blackened carcass.

A Paris police spokeswoman several injuries have been reported to police but no deaths. The spokeswoman, who wasn't authorized to be publicly named, said the explosion is believed to have been prompted by a gas leak. She provided no further details.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said "the situation is under control" but warned the explosion had caused a "heavy toll." After visiting the scene, he described his "shock" at seeing the damage, and said around 200 firefighters and police were involved in the operation.

An investigation was opened, according to the Paris prosecutor's office, which wouldn't comment on what possible causes were being investigated.

A helicopter landed in the area to evacuate the wounded. Silver-helmeted firefighters and red firetrucks filled the street and inspected adjoining courtyards. A vehicle from gas company GRDF was stationed nearby.

The police spokeswoman said firefighters were called to the scene to investigate a gas leak at the bakery, but the blast didn't happen until after they arrived and warned residents to stay inside.

Pedro Goncalves, an employee at the Hotel Mercure opposite the bakery, said he saw firefighters enter the bakery in the morning but he and his co-workers "thought maybe it's a joke, a false alarm" and they went back to work. About an hour later, he said a blast rocked the surrounding streets.

"In the middle of nothing, I heard one big explosion and then a lot of pressure came @ me (and) a lot of black smoke and glass," he said. "And I had just enough time to get down and cover myself and protect my head."

Goncalves said he "felt a lot of things fall on me" and that he was struck by shattered glass. He had a few cuts on his head, and spots of blood on his sweater and undershirt.

"Thank god I'm OK," he said, saying that the blast was so powerful that he heard whistling in his ears in the aftermath. Goncalves said that he ran for the exit and then went to check on the hotel's clients, adding that some of them had head injuries and were bleeding. He said that the hotel was "destroyed" in the blast.

Another witness told The Associated Press that she was awakened by the blast, and feared it was another terrorist attack.

The bakery is around the corner from the Folies-Bergere theater and not far from the shopping district that includes the famed headquarters of Galeries Lafayette.

The explosion came as the French capital is on edge and under heavy security for yellow vest protests expected later Saturday around the country.

Milos Krivokapic and Mstyslav Chernov in Paris, and Frank Griffiths and Nishit Morsawala in London, contributed to this report.</s>A powerful explosion and fire apparently caused by a gas leak at a Paris bakery has injured several people, blasted out windows and overturned cars, police said.

A powerful explosion and fire apparently caused by a gas leak at a Paris bakery has injured several people, blasted out windows and overturned cars, police said.

Firefighters pulled injured victims out of windows and evacuated residents as smoke billowed out of the building on Rue de Trevise in the 9th arrondissement of north-central Paris.

Witnesses described on French television the overwhelming sound of the blast and people trapped inside nearby buildings.

A Paris police spokeswoman said several injuries have been reported to police ,but no deaths.

Silver-helmeted firefighters and red fire engines filled the street and inspected adjoining courtyards.

Debris from a burned car and broken glass littered the pavement. A vehicle from gas company GRDF was stationed nearby.

The building is around the corner from the Folies-Bergere theatre and not far from the shopping district that includes the famed headquarters of Galeries Lafayette.

The explosion came amid heavy security in Paris and around France for yellow vest protests expected later on Saturday.</s>Several people have been left injured with unconfirmed reports of fatalities following an explosion at a bakery in central Paris, believed to have been caused by a gas leak.

A powerful explosion and fire apparently caused by a gas leak at a Paris bakery this morning has injured several people, blasted out windows and overturned cars, police said.

Firefighters pulled injured victims out of windows and evacuated residents as smoke billowed out over Rue de Trevise in the 9th arrondissement of north-central Paris.

Witnesses described the overwhelmingly sound of the blast and people trapped inside nearby buildings. Charred debris and broken glass covered the pavement around the apartment building housing the bakery, which resembled a blackened carcass.

Several people have been reported injured to police with unconfirmed reports of deaths.

A police spokeswoman, who wasn’t authorised to be publicly named, said the explosion is believed to have been prompted by a gas leak. She provided no further details.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said “the situation is under control” but warned the explosion had caused a “heavy toll.” Speaking from the scene, he said some 200 firefighters said were involved in the operation.

An investigation was opened, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office, which would not comment on what possible causes were being investigated.

Silver-helmeted firefighters and red fire engines filled the street and inspected adjoining courtyards. A vehicle from gas company GRDF was stationed nearby.

The bakery is around the corner from the Folies-Bergere theatre and not far from the shopping district that includes the famed headquarters of Galeries Lafayette.

The explosion came as the French capital is on edge and under heavy security for yellow vest protests expected later today around the country.</s>PARIS — A powerful explosion apparently caused by a gas leak blew apart a Paris bakery on Saturday and devastated the street it was on, killing three people and injuring dozens as it blasted out windows and overturned nearby cars, French authorities said.

Witnesses described the sound of the explosion as deafening. Firefighters pulled injured victims out from broken windows and evacuated residents and tourists as a fire raged and smoke billowed over Rue de Trevise in the 9th arrondissement of north-central Paris.

Charred debris and broken glass covered the pavement around the apartment building housing the bakery, which resembled a blackened carcass, and people were trapped inside nearby buildings.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner paid homage to the courage of rescuers, who saved the life of one firefighter who was buried under the rubble for 2½ hours.

The French Interior Ministry said two firefighters and a female Spanish tourist were killed by the blast and about 10 of the 47 wounded were in critical condition. French authorities corrected the figure of four dead given earlier by France’s interior minister.

Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said the cause of the blast appeared to be an accidental gas leak. He said Paris firefighters were already at the scene to investigate a suspected gas leak at the bakery when the explosion happened about 9 a.m.

Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell tweeted that “I deeply regret the death of three people after the explosion in central Paris, including a Spanish woman.” He shared condolences to her relatives and “wishes for a quick recovery to the other injured Spaniard.”

The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported the woman was a tourist staying in a hotel near the bakery, which is around the corner from the Folies-Bergere theater and not far from the Paris shopping district that includes the famed headquarters of Galeries Lafayette.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo extended a “message of affection and solidarity” to the victims. She said many residents and tourists had been evacuated from neighboring buildings and hotels and Paris authorities were helping to provide them temporary accommodations.

Authorities said around 200 firefighters and police were involved in the operation. A helicopter evacuated the wounded. Silver-helmeted firefighters and red firetrucks filled the street and inspected adjoining courtyards.

Pedro Goncalves, an employee at the Hotel Mercure opposite the bakery, said he saw firefighters enter the bakery in the morning but he and his co-workers “thought maybe it’s a joke, a false alarm,” and they went back to work.

About an hour later, he said a blast rocked the surrounding streets, one so powerful that he felt a whistling in his ears.

“I heard one big explosion and then a lot of pressure came at me, a lot of black smoke and glass,” he said. “I had just enough time to get down and cover myself and protect my head.”

Goncalves, who was struck by shattered glass, had cuts on his head and spots of blood on his sweater and undershirt. He ran for the exit and then went back to check on the hotel’s clients, adding that some of them had head injuries and were bleeding. He said the hotel was “destroyed” in the blast.</s>PARIS - A powerful explosion apparently caused by a gas leak blew apart a Paris bakery on Saturday and devastated the street it was on, killing three people and injuring dozens as it blasted out windows and overturned nearby cars, French authorities said.

Witnesses described the sound of the explosion as deafening. Firefighters pulled injured victims out from broken windows and evacuated residents and tourists as a fire raged and smoke billowed over Rue de Trevise in the 9th arrondissement of north-central Paris.

Charred debris and broken glass covered the pavement around the apartment building housing the bakery, which resembled a blackened carcass, and people were trapped inside nearby buildings.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner paid homage to the courage of rescuers, who saved the life of one firefighter who was buried under the rubble for 2½ hours.

The French Interior Ministry said two firefighters and a female Spanish tourist were killed by the blast and about 10 of the 47 wounded were in critical condition. French authorities corrected the figure of four dead given earlier by France's interior minister.
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Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said the cause of the blast appeared to be an accidental gas leak. He said Paris firefighters were already at the scene to investigate a suspected gas leak at the bakery when the explosion happened about 9 a.m.

Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell tweeted that "I deeply regret the death of three people after the explosion in central Paris, including a Spanish woman." He shared condolences to her relatives and "wishes for a quick recovery to the other injured Spaniard."

The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported the woman was a tourist staying in a hotel near the bakery, which is around the corner from the Folies-Bergere theater and not far from the Paris shopping district that includes the famed headquarters of Galeries Lafayette.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo extended a "message of affection and solidarity" to the victims. She said many residents and tourists had been evacuated from neighboring buildings and hotels and Paris authorities were helping to provide them temporary accommodations.

Authorities said around 200 firefighters and police were involved in the operation. A helicopter evacuated the wounded. Silver-helmeted firefighters and red firetrucks filled the street and inspected adjoining courtyards.

Pedro Goncalves, an employee at the Hotel Mercure opposite the bakery, said he saw firefighters enter the bakery in the morning but he and his co-workers "thought maybe it's a joke, a false alarm," and they went back to work.

About an hour later, he said a blast rocked the surrounding streets, one so powerful that he felt a whistling in his ears.

"I heard one big explosion and then a lot of pressure came at me, a lot of black smoke and glass," he said. "I had just enough time to get down and cover myself and protect my head."

Goncalves, who was struck by shattered glass, had cuts on his head and spots of blood on his sweater and undershirt. He ran for the exit and then went back to check on the hotel's clients, adding that some of them had head injuries and were bleeding. He said the hotel was "destroyed" in the blast.

"Thank God I'm OK," he said.

Another witness told The Associated Press that she was awakened by the blast and feared it was another terrorist attack.

The explosion came as the French capital was on edge and under heavy security for yellow vest protests Saturday against economic inequality. Authorities said 32,000 protesters took to the streets around the country.

Oleg Cetinic, Milos Krivokapic, Mstyslav Chernov in Paris, and Frank Griffiths and Nishit Morsawala in London, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Paris police: Multiple injuries after explosion in Paris bakery believed linked to gas leak

PARIS (AP) — Paris police: Multiple injuries after explosion in Paris bakery believed linked to gas leak.</s>French authorities said two firefighters were killed and 47 people injured in a powerful explosion and fire apparently caused by a gas leak at a Paris bakery Saturday that blasted out windows and overturned cars.

Firefighters pulled injured victims from windows and evacuated residents as smoke billowed over Rue de Trevise in the 9th arrondissement of north-central Paris.

The Paris prosecutor's office said that two firefighters have been killed in the bakery blast, correcting the overall figure of four dead given earlier by France's interior minister.

Authorities said 10 people were in critical condition and 37 others less seriously injured.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told reporters at the scene "unfortunately the human toll is particularly serious." He paid homage to the courage of rescuers who notably saved the life of one firefighter who was buried under the rubble for two and a half hours.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who was also at the scene, extended a "message of affection and solidarity" to the victims.

She said many residents and tourists have been evacuated from neighboring buildings and hotels. Paris authorities will help provide temporary accommodation, the mayor said.

Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said that the cause appears to be an accidental gas leak. He said that Paris firefighters were already at the scene to investigate a suspected gas leak at the bakery when the explosion happened.

Witnesses described the overwhelming sound of the blast and people trapped inside nearby buildings. Charred debris and broken glass covered the pavement around the apartment building housing the bakery, which resembled a blackened carcass.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said "the situation is under control." After visiting the scene, he described his "shock" at seeing the damage, and said around 200 firefighters and police were involved in the operation.

A helicopter landed in the area to evacuate the wounded. Silver-helmeted firefighters and red firetrucks filled the street and inspected adjoining courtyards. A vehicle from gas company GRDF was stationed nearby.

Pedro Goncalves, an employee at the Hotel Mercure opposite the bakery, said he saw firefighters enter the bakery in the morning but he and his co-workers "thought maybe it's a joke, a false alarm" and they went back to work. About an hour later, he said a blast rocked the surrounding streets.

"In the middle of nothing, I heard one big explosion and then a lot of pressure came at me (and) a lot of black smoke and glass," he said. "And I had just enough time to get down and cover myself and protect my head."

Goncalves said he "felt a lot of things fall on me" and that he was struck by shattered glass. He had a few cuts on his head, and spots of blood on his sweater and undershirt.

"Thank god I'm OK," he said, saying that the blast was so powerful that he heard whistling in his ears in the aftermath. Goncalves said that he ran for the exit and then went to check on the hotel's clients, adding that some of them had head injuries and were bleeding. He said that the hotel was "destroyed" in the blast.

Another witness told The Associated Press that she was awakened by the blast, and feared it was another terrorist attack.

The bakery is around the corner from the Folies-Bergere theater and not far from the shopping district that includes the famed headquarters of Galeries Lafayette.

The explosion came as the French capital is on edge and under heavy security for yellow vest protests around the country.
A large explosion caused by a suspected gas leak destroys a bakery in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. Four people are killed, and 40 others are injured.