8 Injured in Corsica bomb attack

Eight people have been injured after suspected Corsican separatists detonated a bomb in an apartment block in the island's capital Ajaccio.

It is understood the bomb consisted of a gas canister packed with explosives which was placed against the hallway door of an apartment on the first floor. The explosion caused extensive damage to two apartments and resulted in lumps of metal and debris landing in the street below, damaging a number of vehicles. At least one of those injured in the blast was a child although none of those are said to be in a serious condition.

Police spokesperson Thomas Pison described the attack as "very worrying" and added that "two apartments, one of which was occupied at the time, had been completely blown away". If somebody had of been in the living room or on the balcony of the apartments they most likely would have been killed.

The motivations behind these attacks are still unknown although two bars in the same neighbourhood were destroyed in separatist bomb blasts earlier this year.

The attack has been condemned by Patrick Strzode, the French Prefect of Corsica.