The street after the blastImage copyright
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Prefecture

Image caption

The area has been sealed off

A suspected parcel bomb has exploded in the centre of the eastern French city of Lyon, injuring eight people.

Those hurt in the explosion on Victor-Hugo Street, including a girl aged eight, appear to have suffered superficial injuries.

A cyclist was seen leaving the parcel outside a bakery on a street corner, reports say.

Anti-terrorist prosecutors have taken over the investigation in the country’s third-biggest city.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the blast as an “attack”.

What do we know so far?

The device, which was reportedly full of screws, nuts and bolts, exploded around 17:30 (15:30 GMT) on the street in the historic city centre, between the Saone and Rhone rivers.

The mayor of Lyon’s 2nd Arrondissement, Denis Broliquier, said he was certain the device had been designed to cause injury.

Several witnesses had told him, he said, that the device had been placed in a bag and left by a man filmed by municipal CCTV.

Read More