Egyptian police are questioning three suspects Monday over the bombing of a Cairo market Sunday night that killed a French teenager who was on a school trip and injured 20 others, officials say, cited by the BBC.

They were detained near the market shortly after the blast, police said. The bomb blast happened at an open-air hotel cafe packed with tourists in the Khan al-Khalili area - a major attraction and home to a prominent mosque.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has expressed "deep sorrow" at the death of the French teenager in the blast.

Police said they thought the device had been thrown from a balcony. It is not yet known who was responsible. There have been conflicting reports the bomb, which is believed to have been home-made, may also have been left under a bench.

Those injured in the blast included more than a dozen French nationals, four Germans and three Egyptians, according to police. Six are thought to be in a serious condition.

The French foreign ministry confirmed the death of one of its citizens, a 17-year-old girl.

The early evening explosion happened near the Hussein mosque and a well-known bazaar, in what is a historic area.

Montasser el-Zayat, a lawyer who has defended Islamic extremists, told Arabic news channel al-Jazeera the attack might be linked to anger over the recent Israeli offensive in Gaza.

The Khan al-Khalili area was last targeted in 2005, when three people - including an American and a French tourist - were killed in a blast.

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