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"I waited for them to reload and then we ran".

It was a bloodbath

A French reporter who was inside the Bataclan concert hall  described how the terrorists turned kalashnikovs on the people inside with terrifying calm, picking off people one by one in an attack that went on for at least 15 minutes.

AFP is reporting that 100 people are dead. The gunmen threw grenades  before they started slaughtering the people one by one.

The radio reporter from Europe 1, Julien Pearce, who managed to escape, said he believed he had witnessed at least 25 dead and others injured. At least 1000 people were believed to be attending the concert for an American rock band Eagles of Death Metal.

Bataclan Theatre before the attack.

News reports from Paris say the hostage situation has finished with two gunmen left dead with some hostages being herded to safety outside after a police operation. Earlier  reporters outside the hall said they are still hearing sounds of gunshot coming from insider. People inside had been using social media to plead for police to storm the building.

Mr Pearce was inside during the concert but managed to get out, helping an injured woman to escape.

He offered an horrendous eyes-witness description of what went on inside, reporting that the gunmen wore black and were calm and impassive, not speaking as they shot many of the concert goers in cold blood.

Another witness told the Liberation newspaper that a gunman: “…shot in my direction. People started falling and throwing themselves towards the ground.

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‘I think the guy next to me was dead. I went out of the emergency exit at the opposite end of the road. It was only once in the road that I started to see people covered in blood.

Mr Pearce said th  gunmen were young – aged in their 20s and 30s and unmasked which one counter-terrorism expert said indicates they did not anticipate coming out alive.

The band Eagles of Death Metal were performing at the concert hall as the attacks unfolded. Image via Instagram.

“They reloaded several time,” he told CNN. “I waited for them to reload and then we ran”.

“The shooting went on for a long time. It was very, very long. It was shocking. There was a huge panic.”

A statement on the band’s Facebook page said they were still trying to determine the safety of the band and crew. ‘Our thoughts are with all of the people involved in this tragic situation.’

We hope and pray for their safety.

Support is available for Australians with friends and family in Paris:

The Australian Embassy phone number in Paris is +33140593300 for those trying to contact friends and family in the region .

24-HOUR CONSULAR EMERGENCY HELPLINE

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