French sniper accidentally fires weapon during Hollande speech, injuring 2

French president Francois Hollande in January. (Ian Langsdon, Pool via AP)

A police sharpshooter protecting France President Francois Hollande accidentally fired his weapon during a speech Tuesday, wounding two people.

Pierre N'Gahane, the top official of western France's Charente region, said the incident happened at the inauguration of a new train line in the town of Villognon, The Associated Press reported.

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Local media reports said a waiter and a railway company employee were slightly wounded – one in the ankle and the other in the leg, according to the BBC.

"I hope it's nothing serious. I think not," Hollande said as he stopped his speech to see if anyone was hurt.

The BBC cited a local report noting that the safety catch on the sniper’s gun was unlocked and the firearm discharged. The sniper was positioned on a roof about 330 feet away from where Hollande was speaking, officials said.

The shooting remained under investigation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.