France media: national radio station catches fire

A major fire has forced the evacuation of the French national radio building in Paris, interrupting programmes.

Thick columns of smoke poured from Maison de la Radio just west of the Eiffel Tower, making the fire visible right across the French capital.

Some reports spoke of explosions before firefighters got to the scene.

There were no immediate reports of casualties. The French TF1 news website says France Info radio broadcasts were disrupted by the evacuation.

Bernard Thomasson, a journalist for state-owned Radio France News, told the BBC: "It's only one area of the building that is affected. It's not the whole building.

"I work in the building and we saw the first dark smoke and we were then evacuated. The whole building has now been evacuated.

"The radio house has been under renovation for the past 10 years and there was work happening on the 8th floor. That's where the fire started, so we think it's because of the work that has been happening there."