A van has been driven at shoppers at a French Christmas market in the city of Nantes and the driver is reported to have stabbed himself.

According to local newspaper Ouest France, citing a police officer and witnesses on the scene, the driver of the white van shouted "Allahu akbar" ("God is greatest" in Arabic) and stabbed himself with a knife.

The driver reportedly drove at a chalet serving hot wine in front of which several people were gathered, a witness said.

A local official said 11 people were injured, including the driver of the vehicle.

A source close to the investigation said the driver stabbed himself "at least nine times," causing himself serious injuries.

"As things stand, we have no account pointing to any religious demands," said the source.

The Christmas market was evacuated and secured by police, a witness told the Reuters news agency.

Today's crash follows a similar incident in the French city of Dijon yesterday. In that incident at least 13 people were injured, two of them seriously, after a driver targeted passers-by in five different areas of the city.

Witnesses told police the driver was heard shouting he was "acting for the children of Palestine" during the rampage, which lasted about half an hour.

It came a day after another man, who was also heard shouting "Allahu Akbar," stabbed three police officers in the central town of Joue-les-Tours.