Huge gas explosion sparks horror blaze near French senate sending black smoke spewing into the air

SEVERAL buildings are on fire in the centre of Paris after a huge gas explosion. The blast happened in the Val-de-Grâce neighbourhood in the French capital near the Senate, a city official said. TwitterEmergency services on the scene of the massive gas explosion[/caption] AFPSmoke billows from a building on Place Alphonse-Laveran in Paris[/caption] Pictures showed huge plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky above the city@aschapire/Twitter The Paris police department said they were making checks. Pictures showed huge plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky above the city. Cops have urged the public to avoid the area. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed firefighters were battling a blaze on Rue Saint-Jacques – close to the Jardin Du Luxembourg and Sorbonne University. THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY… The Sun is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Download our fantastic, new and improved free App for the best ever Sun Online experience. For iPhone click here, for Android click here.  Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.