Two people were shot when a soldier’s pistol accidentally went off during a speech by French President François Hollande.
Mr Hollande was speaking at the opening of a high speed rail service between Tours and Bordeaux when the shot was fired.
The soldier was reportedly part of an elite protection force within the national gendarmerie, deployed specially for the event on Tuesday.
According to local media the soldier - who was standing at some distance from the President - had left his safety catch off on his gun.
Only one bullet was reportedly fired, which brushed one person’s calf before hitting another person in the leg.
In video footage of the address the French President can be seen pausing mid-speech and turning to look in the direction of the disturbance.
Addressing a crowd of hundreds he says: “I hope nothing is wrong”.
He pauses again, then adds “I think not” before continuing his speech.
The head of the French department Charente, an area in south west France, told local media: “The lives of the two injured people were not in danger” adding “the prosecutor had been informed and an investigation launched”.
