Police cordoned off the area at the shopping centre in La Défense, to the west of the city.

Videos of the scene show people running in panic from the Les Quatre Temps shopping centre, with rumours that shots had been heard.

🔴énormes mouvements de foule à la défense 🔴 pic.twitter.com/aw8hnsVSPL

— M (@Matmarea) February 18, 2023

However, police say that the noise was caused by a man falling several storeys from the Auchan supermarket.

Members of the public have been told to stay away from the area, and roads and Metro lines were briefly closed.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin tweeted that a police operation was underway, under the direct control of the Paris police chief.

Une opération de police se déroule à La Défense. J’ai demandé au préfet de police de se rendre sur place. https://t.co/Ef8dJzlTX7

— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) February 18, 2023

In a city that has seen repeated terror attacks, unexpected loud noises can cause crowds to panic – in 2020 a sonic boom over the city caused a similar panic among locals who heard it.