A t least 26 people — 11 people in a restaurant in the tenth arrondissement, and 15 in the Bataclan theater — are dead in Paris, as they have been killed in shootings and explosions earlier today in what is being called the deadliest violence in France in decades; and unconfirmed reports cite as many as 60 people are now dead in the violence which has yet to be explained as to who is responsible for it and why it occurred.
According to this article written by Angela Charlton and Lori Hinnant of the Associated Press, “two explosions were heard outside the Stade de France stadium north of Paris during a France-Germany friendly football match. It is unclear if the explosions were linked to the other events.”
At least 13 people have been reported injured as a result of the violence; although there are reports that dozens of people have been wounded.
Francois Hollande — who is the president of France — was at the stadium at the time of the explosions and has reportedly been evacuated to a safer location.
The hard rock band Eagles of Death Metal were set to perform at the Bataclan theater, where reports of as many as 100 people may currently be held hostage. People inside of the theater initially thought that the gunshots were the sounds of fireworks.
Edited to add that just moments ago, a fourth attack is being reported at a shopping mall. Also, some of the main Metro stations of Paris were closed down as a result of the attacks — including the one at the Gare du Nord — according to this article written by William Branigin of The Washington Post.
People in Paris have reportedly been asked by police and authorities to remain indoors due to the uncertainty of this ongoing situation, as sirens have been heard all around Paris.
If your travel plans include France within the next few days, you may encounter some inconveniences in the form of closed streets and increased security. However, the latest news is that Francois Hollande had declared a state of emergency in an address to the nation — meaning that borders of France are now closed — so you may need to alter your travel plans. Please remain aware of your surroundings and alert as to updates of this situation…
…and please: travel safely.
I intend to cover more details on this breaking news as the story unfolds; and this article may be amended with updated information…
Photograph ©2008 by Brian Cohen.
