An explosion occurred at one of Orange’s technical sites in Paris on Thursday, injuring three workers, two critically, and disrupting communication services for 80,000 users, the district mayor said.
The incident took place around 10 a.m. (0800 GMT) [on Oct. 9] in the basement of a building on Avenue de Saxe in the French capital, where an explosion followed by a fire injured three workers from the telecom operator, 7th district mayor Rachida Dati said.
Two of the injured were in critical condition and one is in less serious condition, she said in a statement.
The fire was contained by the fire brigade, and Orange teams were working to restore phone and internet services for around 80,000 users affected by the incident, Dati said.
“Americans deserve certainty and stability in the flood insurance marketplace so that they can protect their homes, businesses and loved ones,” the 16 organizations said in the letter to leaders of the House and Senate. They said a lapse of NFIP would leave millions at risk and disrupt the purchase of flood insurance in tens of thousands of communities.
A total shutdown of the federal government looms at midnight if Congress does not agree on a budget. The groups said they support the “NFIP Extension Act of 2026,” which would extend NFIP for a year.
“This is what people hate about government, letting partisan politics put people at serious risk,” said Jimi Grande, senior vice president of federal and political affairs for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC). “Even if [hurricanes] Imelda and Humberto don’t make landfall in the U.S., they could impact the coast, and we’ve still got two months of hurricane season to go. We know flooding can happen anywhere; Congress should know it too. If they can’t keep the government running, the least they can do is pass a standalone extension and let Americans protect themselves through the NFIP.”