As Paris braced for another day of “yellow vest” anti-government protests, a massive explosion ripped through a building in a central area of the city, killing two firefighters and a Spanish tourist, injuring dozens and causing severe damage to nearby buildings.

"As firemen were looking for a gas leak in the building, a dramatic explosion took place," Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said, adding that one of the firemen was buried under debris for several hours.

The blast at around 9am local time blew out the bakery on ground floor of a seven-storey apartment building on the corner of Rue de Trévise and Rue Sainte-Cécile in a touristy part of the ninth arrondissement.

It came as thousands of police were deployed across the city to try and prevent a repeat of the violence that on previous Saturdays saw protestors clash with security forces and attack banks and loot shops and cafés.

"It happened when there were people in the street, and firefighters inside," Mr Castaner said.

He said on his Twitter feed that two firefighters had died, and that 10 people, including one firefighter, had serious injuries, with another 37 people suffering lighter injuries.

Spain’s foreign minister said that a Spanish citizen, who was staying in one of the many tourist hotels in the area, had died in the blast.