Witnesses reported hearing three explosions near the Hotel Matignon, where Sébastien Lecorne was scheduled to hold a meeting after his resignation, Le Parisien reported, according to the Independent.
Pictures from the scene show a burning van as emergency services try to contain the blaze. Local media reports that the fire was contained to the van and did not spread to surrounding buildings.
It is not clear what caused the explosion or fire. Firefighters were briefed saying the blaze was caused by a mechanical fault in the company’s equipment.
Images shared on social media appear to show the van belongs to a public lighting company. The road, Rue Varennes, was closed with officers stationed to prevent entry.
Lecorne’s resignation comes just one day after he was named minister and after just 27 days in the role. His resignation makes it the shortest-lived government in the Fifth Republic.
The former defense minister was due to submit his general policy statement to parliament on Tuesday.
“The circumstances that enabled me to exercise my functions and enable the government to go before Parliament tomorrow were no longer met,” the outgoing prime minister said on Monday.
He continued: “These parties have pretended not to see a change, a deep rupture, not to use Article 49.3. There is no longer any excuse for MPs to refuse to do their jobs.”
Article 49.3 gives the government the power to pass legislation without a vote from Parliament.
MNA