Blast in suburb of Lyon, France kills 1, injures 18

An explosion in a building in the suburbs of the French city of Lyon left one person dead and 18 injured on Sunday night, according to officials.

The Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes regional authorities said in a statement that the fire killed a 70-year-old man and caused minor injuries to 18 people due to smoke inhalation.

The fire, which broke out in a building in Venissieux, a suburb in the southern part of the Lyon metropolitan area, led to the evacuation of about 150 residents. Some 90 firefighters and 40 emergency vehicles were dispatched to the scene.

"A fire subsequently broke out in an apartment on the fourth floor. This will need to be confirmed by the investigation, but the explosion is believed to have been caused by gas," the authorities said.