Three boys aged between 14 and 16 died on Saturday and a fourth left in a serious condition in hospital when a smoke bomb they had made blew up.
They had been in an abandoned cabin in Bas-en-Basset in the south central département of Haute-Loire.
Radio channel France Info reported that a series of dangerous chemicals were found in the area, together with debris, and a replica firearm that is typical for those playing the game of Airsoft.
Airsoft, which was invented in Japan, sees two teams fighting with replica firearms that shoot plastic pellets. The battles take place in fields or indoors, with both teams wearing full military gear. Players sometimes are known to use smoke bombs too.
A spokesperson for France's national Airsoft association told French newspaper Le Figaro that players were not encouraged to make their own weapons, and should rent them from licenced facilities instead.
Airsoft has gained popularity in France, with about 25,000 people estimated to be players and around 2,000 licensed locations.
Comments to taglines82@gmail.com
