*** France stages chemical attack exercise at Euro venue | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

France stages chemical attack exercise at Euro venue

Saint-Étienne: French emergency services held a security exercise simulating a chemical attack at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne on Monday ahead of the 2016 European Championships.

The stadium will hold three group-stage matches and one last 16 tie in the tournament that starts on June 10.

In all 120 firefighters, more than 60 police officers, and 20 ambulance workers took part in the exercise, along with 450 other people.

"The goal is to test the coordination between the different services," said lieutenant colonel Bertrand Baray, of the Pays de la Loire county fire and rescue service.

"The NRBC (nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical) agents are positioned near the stadium in protective clothing with the aim of sorting people into three categories.

"They are those that are involved but do not have symptoms, those with symptoms but who can walk, and those who have symptoms and cannot walk."