An explosion occurred today in a building in Paris, France, that housed the Paris American Academy, where nine 5X students, plus faculty and staff are located. All Kent State students have now been accounted for and are safe.
News reports indicate a gas leak may be to blame for a blast that sent more than two dozen people to the hospital.
The building is in the fifth arrondissement in the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank of the River Seine. News outlets have reported approximately 24 people have been injured and additional buildings caught fire in the blaze. The fire is now under control.
“We are thankful and relieved to know that our Kent State students are safe and accounted for,” said 5X President Todd Diacon. “This incident occurred later in the day and the students had left the building for an off-site activity. Our thoughts are with the other individuals who were injured in the explosion.”
The students had arrived in Paris on June 1 for a summer fashion class that was scheduled to end on June 28. These students will now return home a few days early. A similar class scheduled for July will be delayed and may be canceled.
Parents with Kent State students currently at the American Academy in Paris should please contact the Office of Global Education at 330-672-7980.
For more information about Kent State, visit www.kent.edu.