December 1, 2023 – 4:10 AM PST
PARIS (Reuters) – A gas leak was detected on the construction site of the Paris 2024 Olympic Village while International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach was visiting the area on Friday, police said.
“There is a gas leak, I had told them not to come here,” a police officer told Reuters as Bach walked nearby with a group of reporters and Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet.
A fire engine was spotted on the scene.
“We actually had the green light (for the visit) from the fire department,” Marion Le Paul, deputy director of SOLIDEO, the company in charge of the Games’ infrastructure, told Reuters.
“These things happen in construction sites and there are strict protocols that we follow.”
Reporting by Julien Pretot and Noemie Olive, editing by Pritha Sarkar