Wild scenes as massive inferno rages in Paris
A massive inferno has torn through a building in Paris, leaving thick black smoke smothering the city.
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Horrifying footage has captured the moment a huge blaze ripped through northern Paris on Monday night.
A thick black cloud could be seen across the French capital as firefighters battled the blaze – an eerie resemblance to the 2019 Notre-Dame disaster.
Dramatic footage shows cars passing by just metres away as the engulfed structure begins to collapse.
A separate clip shows the light of the blaze visible from across the city as black smoke travels past the Eiffel Tower.
As darkness falls, the blaze continues to grow stronger – with the red glow of flames illuminating the city.
The Paris Fire Department deployed around 200 firefighters and 60 engines, along with two aerial platforms, to tackle the blaze.
The site is believed to be the Syctom waste sorting centre.
The hi-tech facility opened in 2019 and is responsible for handling over 2.3 million tonnes of municipal waste from six million residents in Île-de-France – according to its website.
Geoffery Boulard, mayor for the affected 17th arrondissement said, “Fire fighters arrived very quickly, but the fire happened underground and then spread through the building.”
Mr Boulard told local media outlets that 31 employees were present when the blaze broke out and all have been evacuated.
President of Syctom, Corentin Duprey, told French news outlet BFM, “The most important thing tonight is that a disaster on this scale did not have any human damage.”
The Paris fire brigade, led by General Arnaud de Cacqueray, has warned residents to stay indoors due to toxic smoke and a wall at risk of collapse.
“Avoid the area to let emergency services do their work. Residents, stay cautious,” a public alert stated.
No injuries or casualties have been reported.
The blaze comes just five years after the world watched the beloved Notre-Dame Cathedral go up in flames.
On April 15, 2019, a massive fire ripped through the 850-year-old landmark, seeing the collapse of the iconic spire and roof.
Notre-Dame officially reopened on December 7, 2024, in a grand ceremony that signified history for France.
Originally published as Wild scenes as massive inferno rages in Paris
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