Carcassonne (France): President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed severe punishment today after 17 people were wounded when a French soldier mistakenly opened fire with live ammunition during a display at an army base.

The 28-year-old sergeant fired his assault rifle into a crowd of hundreds of visitors watching a mock hostage rescue operation today at the base near the southwestern city of Carcassonne.

A three-year-old boy, who took bullets in the heart and in the arm, and both his parents were among the victims who were rushed to hospitals in the region, officials said.

After paying a visit to three wounded children at a hospital, Sarkozy said the shooting did not appear to be criminal but the result of "unacceptable negligence" for which he promised a "rapid and severe response."

"This cannot go without consequences," he said, adding that the "entire chain of command" would have to provide answers.

The sergeant who fired the shots from his FAMAS assault rifle was described as an experienced soldier with no history of behavioural or psychological problems.

He was held in custody overnight and prosecutors said they would press for a charge of causing unintentional harm when the sergeant appears before judges in Montpellier tomorrow.

Three other soldiers also armed with assault rifles during the open-air display were released after police established that they had not fired live rounds.

Montpellier prosecutor Brice Robin said police were examining video footage of the shooting taken by another soldier which showed the sergeant re-loading his weapons after firing 25 shots.

Source : PTI