TWO York students today spoke of their shocking experience when the German school massacre took place only two streets from where they were staying.

Caroline Apaloo and Gillian Howard, from the University of York, are living in Erfurt, Germany, and have shared in the community's sadness as it mourns the deaths of 18 people.

The city witnessed the killing of 13 teachers, two pupils, a policeman and the gunman himself on Friday, after an expelled pupil went on the rampage in local school Gutenberg Gymnasium.

The killings happened only two streets from the University of Erfurt, where the two language and linguistics students are staying for a term.

"The shock of what had just happened in this small, peaceful city didn't hit home until a few hours after we had learned about the tragedy," said Caroline.

The pair spent the afternoon comforting a friend before joining the city's population lighting candles at the cathedral.

"The cathedral steps were full of people laying their candles and flowers on the ground, and as we joined the long queue outside the town hall to sign the condolence book, we again noticed candles and a large array of flowers at the entrance.

"We bought the last flowers in a shop and walked up to the school, where we laid them among the mass," Gillian said.

"It was difficult to imagine what had happened there in this magnificent building, although the inconsolable faces of the pupils around us, clinging onto each other for comfort, made it all too clear."

Robert Steinhaeuser, 19, had been expelled before returning to his former school armed with two guns.

Updated: 11:25 Tuesday, April 30, 2002