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Americans Were Among The Victims In Paris Attacks

by Lauren Barbato

The U.S. Department of State said Saturday that Americans were among those wounded in the Paris attacks that killed nearly 130 people Friday night. However, the exact number of American citizens who were injured is still unknown. So far, no Americans have been identified among the dead, but the names and nationalities of most victims of the heinous terrorist attacks have yet to be released.

"The U.S. government is working closely with French authorities to identify American victims," State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said in a statement. "We are aware there are Americans among the injured, and are offering them the full range of consular assistance."

Secretary of State John Kerry added in a statement Friday night that the U.S. embassy in Paris is "making every effort to account for the welfare of American citizens in the city." The U.S. embassy in Paris posted these instructions for concerned Americans looking for friends and loved ones in the aftermath:

Callers concerned about U.S. citizens in Paris can contact 1-888-407-4747 (from the United States) or 001-202-501-4444 (from overseas) for assistance. We encourage U.S. citizens in Paris who are safe to contact their loved ones directly, and for social media users, to please update their statuses.

The U.S. embassy in Paris released this alert to U.S. citizens on Saturday:

We strongly urge U.S. citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take the appropriate steps to bolster their personal security, including limiting their movements to essential activity. U.S. citizens are encouraged to monitor media and local information sources and factor updated information into personal travel plans and activities.

"People in France who are safe should be contacting family members," the U.S. embassy stressed. The embassy has yet to confirm any deaths of American citizens, or state how many Americans were among those injured in the wide-scale attacks.