A fire broke out at the Czech Embassy in Paris yesterday, causing the evacuation of all staff. Part of the embassy is out of service, Czech Foreign Ministry spokesman Daniel Drake told CTK, and three people were hospitalised for observation, including two who had inhaled smoke.
“We can confirm that there was a fire,” Drake told CTK yesterday evening. He said the fire had broken out in one of the embassy’s apartments for as yet unknown reasons, and was extinguished by firefighters after a few hours.
Firefighters and police officers are currently going through the building and taking stock of the damage, Drake said.
According to French news server actu.fr, the flames appeared around 2pm, and the firefighting operation continued even after the fire was under control. Some 60 firefighters attended the scene and the area around the embassy was sealed off.
Videos of the fire and its aftermath were posted online by journalist Charles Baudry.
Michal Fleischmann, the Czech ambassador to France, told CTK that the embassy building was without electricity and water, forcing everyone to temporarily move out. Although the fire did not affect the diplomatic functions or security of the embassy, he said everything was covered with black dust and the whole building was filled with smoke.
According to Fleischmann, initial information suggests that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in the caretaker’s apartment, which was completely burnt out. “We will fix what is necessary before the start of the Olympics. The consulate is functional because it is elsewhere. The consular section will function normally, and the embassy will also function,” the ambassador said.
The Summer Olympics in Paris begin on 26 July.
