France expresses solidarity with US after Texas blast

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius voiced Thursday France's solidarity with the American people after an explosion at a fertilizer plant in Texas, the United States."I was deeply shocked by the news of the explosion at a fertilizer plant which has plunged the town of West in Texas into mourning," the minister said in a statement release by his office.The minister expresses France's "solidarity with the American people and its admiration for the commitment of the rescue workers under very difficult conditions.""My thoughts go out to the victims' families, the injured and all those whose lives have been affected by this disaster," Fabius added.The explosion occurred at about 7:50 p.m. local time (0050 GMT Thursday). Earlier media reports said that between five and 15 people were killed and more than 160 were hurt in the explosion