A bakery on the Rue de Trévise, a street in central Paris, caught fire after the blast. The explosion occurred around 9 a.m. local time on Saturday as city police braced themselves for the 9th consecutive weekend of Yellow Vest protests.

At least 2 firefighters were killed when a major gas explosion ripped through a bakery on the Rue de Trévise, a street in the 9th district of Paris this morning, the Paris prosecutor's office said. Earlier, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said four people died, including 2 firefighters, he also added that 10 others were in critical condition and 37 had been lightly injured.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Twitter that "it is with great sadness that we have learned about the death of two Paris firefighters."

Later, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borel stated that a Spanish citizen was killed in the explosion.

​Earlier in the day, it was reported that 36 people were injured, including 12 critically.

The fire department spokesman said the explosion occurred due to a gas leak and has nothing to do with the ongoing yellow vests protests in Paris. The powerful blast set several floors on fire in the apartment building housing the bakery and smashed windows in nearby stores in Rue de Trevise.

Rue de Trévise is located in the heart of France's capital, near the famed Grands Boulevards and the Musée Grévin, a wax museum.

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Meanwhile, a hundred of protesters gathered in front of the Finance Ministry in the morning for what will be the ninth weekend of anti-government rallies since last November.

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