Seven people were hurt, two seriously, by an explosion in a student residence in the French city of Montpellier, apparently caused when chemicals they were handling blew up, officials said today.
The explosion, which occured during a party held in an engineering student's room, took place during the early hours this morning.
Police in the southern city said early indications suggested it had been sparked when a number of chemicals were mixed together including acetone, an inflammable solvent used in products such as paint thinner and nail polish.