It felt like it was a bomb, an attack," said Oliur, 27, still shaken by the explosion that he said miraculously left him unscathed.
Across the street, local bar L'Oree du Bois had become a rallying point for local residents in search of a place to stay for the night, as they were not hopeful they could return to their homes immediately.
Some were speculating about the origin of the blast, suspecting a gas leak, like 75-year-old Monique Mosser.
"We're being told it's gas, as they keep digging holes in every street of Paris ...," she said, referring to local work that was being done in the street.
Quentin Huet, 20, a student at the nearby Ecole des Mines graduate school, told Reuters it was not just the sound that scared him.
Persons:
Rahman Oliur, Jacques, du Bois, Monique Mosser, We're, Mosser, Quentin Huet, Juliette Jabkhiro, Michel Rose, Sandra Maler
Organizations:
Saint, Firefighters, Ecole des Mines, Reuters, Thomson
Locations:
Paris, Ecole