Two members of France's Republican Guard collapsed one after another during an official welcoming ceremony for Slovak President Peter Pellegrini at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Wednesday.

Axar.az reports, citing French media, that the first soldier lost consciousness while standing at attention and fell backwards, hitting a pillar. French President Emmanuel Macron witnessed the incident and approached the soldier as palace staff rushed to help him.

Seconds later, as Macron and Pellegrini greeted each other on the steps of the palace, a second guard also appeared to suffer a medical emergency and collapsed. He was subsequently evacuated from the area.

The causes of the incidents and the soldiers' health conditions have not been disclosed.