Police evacuated a major railway station in Paris after a fire engulfed multiple vehicles and sent a large cloud of black smoke over the surrounding neighbourhood.
Officers said the fire was under control by nightfall on Friday but flames could still be seen rising from the street near Gare de Lyon station, by the banks of the River Seine.
At one point, the station’s landmark clock tower was engulfed in smoke.
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Someone set fire to a scooter during an unauthorised concert near the station, and the flames quickly spread to other vehicles nearby, a police official said.
Authorities urged people to avoid the area in eastern Paris while emergency workers fight the fire.
Police said they have no reports of injuries yet but the situation is still evolving.
Local news reports said the fire started amid tensions around a concert by a Congolese rapper.
