Grenade thrown into French bar injures 12 people

At least twelve people were injured after a grenade was thrown into a bar in France’s southeastern city of Grenoble.

“Someone came in and threw a grenade, apparently without saying a word, and ran away,” prosecutor Francois Touret-de-Courcy told journalists at the scene, where emergency workers had cordoned off the area.

Prosecutor Francois Touret-de-Courcy said two people were in critical condition and ‘many’ were at the scene when the grenade exploded shortly after 8pm (7pm GMT) on Wednesday.

The bar is located in the Olympic Village neighbourhood which was built when the city hosted the 1968 Winter Olympics.

Touret-de-Courcy said the incident is not currently being treated as terror related.

Éric Piolle, Mayor of Grenoble, took to social media platform X to thank emergency services.

He said: “I condemn in the strongest terms the criminal act of unprecedented violence that occurred in a business in the Olympic Village district, causing more than 10 injuries, several of them serious.

“I thank the rescue and security forces for their rapid intervention.”

Police carrying out investigations at the scene. / Credit: EBU

Meanwhile, the country’s health minister will be visiting those who assisted the casualties at the scene on Thursday.

Dr Yannick Neuder said: “I strongly condemn the act of unprecedented violence that took place this evening in Grenoble and which affected several people in a bar.

“Thanks to the medical teams and emergency services who intervened quickly. The CHU is mobilized, as always, and the medical staff are working to provide assistance to the injured.”