Explosion Close to Paris Ritz Hotel Kills One, Several Missing

(Wikipedia)

An explosion in a parking lot close to the Ritz Hotel in Paris has killed one person, reports The AFP.

Here’s what you need to know…

1. The Explosion Appears to Have Been a Construction Accident

Police are acting on the theory that workers were fixing a fuel tank when the blast occurred.

A report today said that Somali-based terror group al-Shabaab had listed the Ritz Hotel in London as possible target, though this explosion occurred in Paris.

2. The Blast Killed One Person

One person has been killed and one other person was injured. Police believe the men were civilian workers but nothing else about their identity has been released.

3. Several Others are Missing

Three people are reported to be missing. NBC News reports the blast occurred at around 4 p.m. local time in a three story parking garage behind the main hotel.

4. Paris is in the Throes of Fashion Week

This tragedy has occurred during Paris Fashion Week which is ongoing. The hotel is undergoing renovations and is not scheduled to reopen until 2014.

5. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group Have Been Targets of Terrorism Before

In 2009, the Ritz Hotel group have been a taget in Jakarta, Indonesia for an attack that injured four people.