to celebrate the start of Spring.The children injured ranged in age from two to 14. Many are injured in the face and all are in hospital in Villepinte. A few hundred people, including local families, the mayor and other officials, had gathered for the annual carnival in Villepinte. Among those hurt was Martine Valleton, the Mayor of Villepinte, who was hit in the right leg. The gasoline used to light the fire was apparently mishandled, prompting the explosion, she said. The Mr Carnival effigy was almost 6m high, and had erupted in flames when the fire was lit. The carnival was evacuated by emergency services who raced to the scene following the dramatic blast. By 8.30pm, the area around the stadium had been sealed off by scores of police, and an advanced medical post had been set up to deal with the wounded.
