Burned-out cars strewn with broken glass and debris: One day after the heavy explosion in the center of Paris, helpers in the rubble found another fatality. The number of deaths rose to four, as the Paris prosecutor announced at noon.
It is still unclear whether the corpse found was a young woman previously reported missing. Among the dead, according to official figures, are two firefighters and one Spanish tourist. Dozens of people were injured.
The explosion had occurred on Saturday at 9 clock in the Rue de Trévise, about one kilometer from the Paris Opera House, as the crow flies. The authorities assume that the accident was triggered by a gas leak.
Around 100 police officers and nearly 200 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the flames and bring homeowners to safety via ladders, according to the Interior Ministry. Rescue workers provided the injured locally. Most were treated for head injuries. The security authorities also examined whether neighboring buildings were damaged and could pose a threat.
Paris City Councilor Alexandre Vesperini of the sixth arrondissement said in an interview that the gas network in Paris is in a "state of advanced decay". The explosion he compared with "a really murderous cannonball".