STRASBOURG, Nov 7: An anti-nuclear protester died in north-eastern France Sunday after he was run over by a train carrying nuclear waste from France to Germany, regional authorities said.

The 23-year-old man, who had chained himself to the railway, lost both legs after he was hit by the train and had been receiving emergency treatment at the scene, in the town of Avricourt near the city of Nancy.

The authorities did not reveal the identity of the victim, nor the exact circumstances of the accident.

Earlier the train, which was carrying treated nuclear waste from the French plant at La Hague to Gorleben in northern Germany, was delayed for two hours near Nancy as police removed two protestors who had also chained themselves to the railway lines.

It was due to cross the French-German border on Sunday and reach the German town of Dannenberg 24 hours later.-AFP