Fire breaks out at French public radio complex in Paris

PARIS (Reuters) - A fire broke out at France's public radio headquarters in Paris on Friday, forcing live programmes off the air as staff evacuated the vast Paris complex where major building work has been underway.


Photographs circulating on Twitter showed thick black smoke billowing from upper floors of the building on the banks of the Seine river in the western part of the French capital.

"Staff ... had to be evacuated because of a fire," said a Twitter message from France Info, one of several public radio channels housed at the building, the Maison de la Radio.

France Info highlighted that building work had been underway recently at the building, where thousands of journalists and other staff work.