Nantes Christmas market attack
French police and firemen work near a van which was driven into a crowd, injuring 11 people in Nantes. Reuters

A person has died after a car was driven into a crowd of pedestrians in Nantes on Monday.

French president Francois Hollande announced the death this afternoon, reports AFP. Five people are said to be in a serious condition in hospital.

The victim's identity has not been released.

A van driver crashed his vehicle into pedestrians visiting a Christmas market on Monday, injuring 10 before stabbing himself. Five were seriously injured in the attack.

French authorities denied that the incident was a terrorist attack, following a similar incident on Sunday, in which a driver ran down 13 pedestrians in Dijon.