Blast rocks Corsican town

29/09/2005 - 19:40:16
An explosion rocked the centre of the Corsican town of Ajaccio this evening.

There was no immediate word on any casualties or damage.

The cause was not immediately clear and the blast appeared to be near a part of town where government and police offices are located.

Corsica has suffered more than two decades of low-level violence by organised crime gangs and separatists seeking independence from France.

Bomb attacks generally occur at night, when buildings are empty.

The explosion also came during tensions on Corsica over plans to privatise an ailing state run ferry operator that links the island in the Mediterranean to the French mainland.

The plan has provoked protests and strikes, with clashes between demonstrators and riot police.