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Two, including 7-year-old boy, killed in fireworks incident on French National Day

A seven-year-old boy and his sister, 24, were killed when fireworks hit a crowd at a Bastille Day celebration in France last night.

Horror footage shows the display go wrong at the parade ground in Cholet, north-western France, with flames sparked on the grass and crowds running away.

Seven more were injured. One person was hospitalised with burns.

The siblings, who have not yet been identified, were standing around fifty yards from the firework launchpad, according to Cholet prosecutor Éric Bouillard.

He announced a manslaughter investigation had been opened.

The fireworks display was proceeding as normal until one rocket appeared to go into the crowd (left). Right: a small boy was filmed racing an empty pushchair away from the scene

Flames on the parade ground could be seen in the distance immediately after the blast

Mr Bouillard described the tragedy as a ‘shooting incident’, suggesting the fireworks had hit spectators.

He added that it is ‘far too early’ to speculate about the causes of the disaster.

Mr Bourdouleix said it is the first time there has been a malfunction at the town’s fireworks display.

Laurent Picard, who took two daughters aged eight and 13 to the show, said he was metres away from the launch pad when it appeared to exploded.

‘Fortunately, where I was placed I served as a shield for my daughters in a way.’

Mr Picard said he saw a woman receiving urgent CPR from paramedics and another person lying on the ground in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

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