La Vuelta a España journalists in France on lockdown after reports of ‘armed men’ at Nimes railway station

THE central train station in Nimes in the south of France was evacuated this evening and La Vuelta a España cycle race organisers warned journalists not to leave the press room, some 400 metres from the station, because of a ‘shooting’.

Estamos retenidos en la sala de prensa de Nîmes por un tiroteo en la estación de la ciudad. Como medida de prevención, se supone.

— Álvaro García (@AlvaroCycling) August 19, 2017

However, the report was quickly dismissed by a French Interior Ministry spokesperson who said a “verification operation” had taken place after someone alerted police to “having seen one or several armed men in the area”, but no shots were fired.

However, police advised the public to avoid the area around the station while they verified the report.

Le quartier de la gare bouclé mais calme, la station évacuée #Nîmes pic.twitter.com/OmRV2NjoQE

— FranceBleuGardLozère (@bleugardlozere) August 19, 2017

Update – 23:15

The exclusion zone around the station has now been lifted according to the police.

Fin de la levée de doute : retour à la normale imminent à la gare de Nîmes

— Préfet du Gard (@Prefet30) August 19, 2017