A police marksman injured two people by accidentally firing his gun during a speech by President Hollande.
The French leader was opening a high speed rail line in Villognon, in the south west of the country, when a shot rang out.
Mr Hollande remained calm during the incident, saying only: “I hope it’s nothing serious,” before continuing with his speech after being told there was no danger.
An investigation had been launched into why the gun went off.
It quickly transpired the rooftop sniper had inadvertently shot a waiter and a railway maintenance worker on the ground below.
Pierre N’Gahane, the regional police chief, said after the incident yesterday that a marksman from the elite Specialised Protection Unit had “made an error of manipulation whilst changing position”. His bullet went into a tent that had been put up for a drinks party after the ceremony, hitting the waiter in the leg and the railway maintenance worker in the foot. Both were taken to hospital but medics said their injuries were minor.
France is in a state of emergency following a spate of terrorist attacks that have killed 238 people since January 2015. Presidential security has been ramped up. The marksman responsible for the error belonged to a regional unit drafted in as reinforcements.
