French journalist killed by US tank

Bourrat reporting from Afghanistan last year

One of the best-known television journalists in France, Patrick Bourrat, has died in hospital in Kuwait.

He was injured on Saturday after being run over by a tank while covering US military exercises in the desert.

Courageous, experienced, he made the ultimate sacrifice for the mission to inform

Jacques Chirac
French President

Mr Bourrat, who was in his 40s, was a correspondent for the TF-1 television station.

American military officials say the precise circumstances of the accident are being investigated.

French President Jacques Chirac has led tributes to Mr Bourrat - a veteran reporter who covered conflicts from Lebanon and Afghanistan to East Timor and Kosovo.

Thrown into the air

More than 12,000 American troops are in Kuwait.

Many of them taking part in live-fire training exercises.

Mr Bourrat was thrown about five metres into the air after getting into the path of an oncoming tank as he pushed away a TF-1 cameraman.

He suffered extensive damage to his organs - "his spleen was ruptured and one kidney, although still working, was half cut," a French embassy spokesman said.

He was operated on but died on Sunday morning, after developing post-operative bleeding.

US Major Denton Knapp told the AFP news agency: "We did everything we could to keep him safe. The guy made a mistake and it was a tragic one."

He said the US army might review the freedom given to journalists to cover the exercises.

President Chirac said Mr Bourrat was "one of the most talented journalists, a shining example for his profession".

"Courageous, experienced, he made the ultimate sacrifice for the mission to inform," Mr Chirac said in a letter of condolences to TF-1 management.