American Marconi Wireless News - Student kills classmate in France knife attack: police source

France has in recent years been shaken by a series of school incidents involving attacks on teachers as well as schoolchildren by their peers.

In the latest case of teenage violence, the assailant attacked fellow students with a knife at the Notre-Dame de Toutes-Aides secondary school in the city of Nantes at around 12:30 pm (1030 GMT), before being overpowered by teachers.

French Education Minister Elisabeth Borne said she and Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau were headed to the scene.

"A knife attack took place at lunchtime today at a private school in Nantes," she posted on X.

"I am travelling to the scene with @BrunoRetailleau to express my solidarity with the victims and my support for the educational community," she added.

The school administration sent a message to the families of the some 2,000 students who attend the school, informing them of the incident.

Students had been immediately confined inside the school, the statement added.

"In coordination with the authorities present, we are organising the gradual release of students from 3:30 pm onwards in accordance with a strict protocol," the message said.

- Site sealed off -

Concerned parents gathered outside of the school, which had already been cordoned off by police who, with French soldiers, were guarding the site.

Ludivine, 48, said she had learned that the attack had happened in her daughter's class.

"As an anxious mother who doesn't let her out alone, I never thought anything would happen to her at her school," she said.

AFP spoke with one student who gave her initial account of what happened.

"I was in the cafeteria with my friends and we were told that a high school pupil had stabbed students in several classrooms," she said, without giving her name.

"We were told not to leave the cafeteria for about 20 minutes and then we were confined to a gym."

Borne in February said police would start random searches for knives and other weapons concealed in bags at and around schools in a bid to deal with an increase in violent attacks.

F.Bennett--AMWN