Star TF1 reporter Patrick Bourrat has died while covering US manoeuvres in Kuwait 10 km (six miles) from the Iraqi border. He died at midnight on Saturday in a military hospital. 

The 48-year-old journalist had been hit by an army tank while seeking to ask his cameraman to move out of its way. Tangled in barbed wire, the journalist was urgently transported to the military hospital of Kuwait where US military doctors initially diagnosed only "four broken ribs". However, his condition worsened during the night, and further examinations showed that "his spleen had exploded and one of his kidneys had been damaged".

Jean Stock, Secretary General of the EBU, sent a letter of condolence on Monday to Patrick le Lay, President and chief executive of TF1: 

Mr. President,

It was with great sadness that EBU staff in Geneva learned of the death of Patrick Bourrat.

His tragic death touched especially the staff in our TV News Operations department. On numerous occasions, they had witnessed Patrick’s professionalism as they relayed his reports to the broadcasters of our Union. 

We wish to extend our most sincere condolences to your organization and most of all to those in your newsroom.

We would also ask you to kindly transmit our deepest sympathy to Patrick’s wife and daughter. We shall always remember him as a great reporter.