Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The incident happened near the town of Avignon

A British woman has died after a boat accident in southern France on Saturday night.

The 27-year-old was thrown overboard when the boat she was on collided with a warning beacon on the river Rhone.

Her body was found six metres underwater, firefighters near Avignon told the AFP news agency.

Five other people, including one Briton, were injured and taken to hospital. Two of them are in serious but not life threatening condition.

"Everyone is in shock," local police said.

An investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances of the incident.

Eight friends, four French and four British, aged between 20 and 30, were on the boat, along with the captain.

They were on the river near the popular tourist town of Avignon.