About 30 people were injured in an explosion in a street in the busy Leyton quarter of central Paris on Wednesday.
After the explosion, the front part of a building collapsed as a result of the impact on the site.
Officials said rescue workers are searching for two missing people who are believed to be buried under the debris.
Eyewitnesses described a loud explosion followed by a large fireball.
According to local police, at least 29 people were injured, including four in critical condition.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said it was too early to say what caused the explosion.
Local Deputy Mayor Edward Sewell referred to the gas explosion in his Twitter post.
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According to eyewitness Rahman Oliver, who was at a food shop below the American Academy in the area, ‘the shop shook from the explosion, it felt like a bomb blast.’
The area is frequented by tourists and foreign students in the early summer, but there was no immediate indication that foreigners were among those missing or injured.
Paris prosecutor Laure Bacau said initial indications were that the explosion occurred inside the building. Investigators will examine whether there were any violations of regulations within the building or whether an individual took steps without proper care.
The Leyton Quarter has been known for many years as a center for foreign and French writers and other artists.