Claire Lanet

New Caledonia policeman shot amid tension over nickel

Public prosecutor Claire Lanet told local radio the policeman was injured when a shot was fired directly at a vehicle in Mont Dore near the capital Noumea during attempts to put out a roadside fire last night.

The officer was transferred to Gaston Bourret Hospital and the prosecutor says legal proceedings are underway.

Yesterday, a key road into New Caledonia's capital was blocked after truck drivers attached to nickel mining contractors staged another protest over nickel exports to China.