French police officials and witnesses have reported an explosion in a bar near a Paris stadium, a shootout outside three Paris restaurants and a hostage situation in a concert hall, leaving at least 40 dead.

Just before midnight local time, French President François Hollande declared a national state of emergency and ordered the borders closed.

According to eyewitness Jim Carroll, 67, who was walking home to his apartment on Rue Bichat at the time of the attack on the restaurants in the 10th arrondissement, there was “a loud explosion” followed by a sound like that of “Chinese fireworks – a long extended spattering that lasted for fifteen seconds.”

“Then there was another explosion and spattering that lasted for a few seconds like the first one,” he added. “Within just a minute there were the sounds of the engines.”

Carroll reported a scene of “chaos.”

Firemen and police immediately barricaded Rue Bichat and all the surrounding streets.

Authorities also evacuated Place de la République and caused a flood of people to cross over the Canal Saint-Martin.

Ambulances are now on the scene.

One of the police officials said there was a separate explosion near the Stade de France north of Paris. It was unclear if the events were linked.

An eyewitness at the stadium filmed the field filled with spectators, which he described in a tweet as a "surreal scene" filled with helicopters.


Another police source reported 100 hostages and at least 15 killed in the Bataclan concert hall.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to be publicly named.

France has been on edge since deadly attacks by Islamic extremists in January on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher grocery that left 20 dead, including the three attackers.

One of the restaurants targeted Friday, Le Carillon, is in the same general neighborhood as the Charlie Hebdo offices.

The country has seen several smaller-scale attacks or attempts since, including an incident on a high-speed train in August in which American travellers thwarted a heavily armed Islamic radical trying to attack passengers.

French President François Hollande and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve announced that a crisis cell had been set up.

"The president of the Republic, the prime minister, the interior minister are in a inter-ministerial crisis cell," the government said in a statement.

US President Barack Obama called the Paris attacks an "outrageous attempt to terrorise civilians and said, "We will work with France to bring terrorists to justice."

The Paris municipality issued a statement just before midnight local time telling Parisians to stay at home.

iModernHome:
FRANCE IS UNDER SIEGE BY TERRORIST 30 DEAD AND MORE THE 100 HOSTAGES


MORE THE ONE SIMULTANEOUS TERRORIST ATTACK IN PARIS DURING THE FOOTBALL MATCH FRANCE VS GERMANY

HELP US AND CANDLE LIGHT TO SUPPORT ALL THE FAMILY OF THE HOSTAGES AND FRANCE


LALASTICALALA MOVE THIS TO HOME PAGE

libertyfather:
No Where to get candle at this time, hope rechargeable torch light Willl do?

iModernHome:
FRANCE IS UNDER SIEGE BY TERRORIST 30 DEAD AND MORE THE 100 HOSTAGES


MORE THE ONE SIMULTANEOUS TERRORIST ATTACK IN PARIS DURING THE FOOTBALL MATCH FRANCE VS GERMANY

HELP US AND CANDLE LIGHT TO SUPPORT ALL THE FAMILY OF THE HOSTAGES AND FRANCE


LALASTICALALA MOVE THIS TO HOME PAGE

Lordave:
So we should light candles for just 30 inconsequential lives wasted in Paris?


How many packets did they lit for dead Nigerians when Boko Haram was persistently murdering in hundreds

samflexx:

inconsequential lives, you just embarrased God, he will embarrase you too..

libertyfather:
No Where to get candle at this time, hope rechargeable torch light Willl do?

PappyMason:
Europe is dead all thanks to liberals, fagg0ts, feminists and satanists.

In Sweden the liberals are promoting degeneracy to new incredible heights.

I don't know how these set of fagg0ts, feminists, marxists, atheists and satanists who are drawn to left wing parties get the impression that an ultra conservative intolerant fascist pseudo political cult know as islam which they are so quick to align with can coexist within their liberal utopia.

I watched a YouTube clip where hillary clinton's supporters were asked about hilary's decision to support sharia in the US and astonishingly they all blinded said it must be a good thing. Note that most of the people interviewed where women scantily dressed and a handful of fagg0ts. They know nothing these oyibo liberal fools.

hiroz:
i swear bro these European lefties are going to be the death of Europe..how can you support throwing open your borders to unknown elements,even with this attacks they will still maintain their crazy stand..Merkel should be held responsible.. wonder if they reason with their head at all.

Harbioollah:
Before you all start making hasty conclusions, the perpetrators of the attack are still unknown.

But if by chance, the attack is blamed on Muslims, especially since the Charlie Hebdo attack, then i will seriously pray for the muslims of Paris.

Harbioollah:
Before you all start making hasty conclusions, the perpetrators of the attack are still unknown.

But if by chance, the attack is blamed on Muslims, especially since the Charlie Hebdo attack, then i will seriously pray for the muslims of Paris.