France: Lille on lockdown after police find gas canisters in car near hospital

According to a report by RT: A car carrying three gas cylinders has been found parked near a military hospital in the French city of Lille, prompting a security lockdown of the area, local media reports.

A large area surrounding the street named after the hospital was cordoned off by the police. According to the newspaper La Voix du Nord, two small canisters and one larger one have been taken out of the black Citroën Picasso car.

A large security perimeter was set up after the black Citroën Picasso with broken windows was discovered.

Residents living on the ground floor of nearby apartments were evacuated as have people in the ECG business school.

The car was situated between the Morrison Square, Béthune Road and Place de la République.

Local police later tweeted that the security operation had ended.


[#Lille] Fin d'intervention de #SécuritéPublique rue de l'hôpital militaire. pic.twitter.com/iRA7Ji5NAI— Police Nationale 59 (@PoliceNat59) December 3, 2019

French President Emmanuel Macron is currently in London where the NATO summit is holding.