A 15-year-old boy reportedly lost a hand after picking up a sting-ball grenade during clashes between high school protesters and police in the northern French town of Lens on Monday. The incident occurred as student protests over classroom conditions continued across France and tensions escalated during demonstrations.

According to a police union source cited by AFP, the teenager picked up a sting-ball grenade fired by police during the confrontation. The device exploded while he was handling it, causing severe injuries and resulting in the loss of his hand.

Francois-Xavier Lauch, prefect of the northern Pas-de-Calais region, confirmed that the teenager was taken to a hospital in Lille following the incident. Lauch said the boy was “out of danger”, although the injuries sustained in the blast resulted in the loss of his hand.

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The incident came during the latest round of demonstrations by French high school students, with protests over classroom conditions having intensified since they began in late September. Students have gathered outside schools in several locations as part of the wider agitation.

The clashes have also raised concerns over the use of police equipment during demonstrations involving students. The circumstances surrounding the teenager’s injury were reported by local officials and media sources, while further details about the confrontation and the use of the grenade were not immediately available.

The protests remain ongoing, with authorities facing continued demonstrations as students demand improvements to classroom conditions. The Lens incident has added to tensions surrounding the clashes between protesters and police as the nationwide agitation continues.

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