44 injured in France train derailment

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A train carrying 186 passengers derailed in northwest France on Friday, injuring 44 people, one of them seriously, officials said.

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The train was running between the Normandy cities of Rouen and Caen, Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said on X.

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It derailed around 7:45 pm (1745 GMT), local authorities said in a statement, and a mass-casualty response plan had been activated, with 130 firefighters, five medical teams and 80 vehicles deployed.

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“Suddenly there were a few jolts, and then after about three seconds it got stronger and stronger,” one of the passengers, Louis, 24, told ICI Normandie radio.

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“I couldn’t stay in my seat any more,” he said. “The windows partially shattered; the stones from the track came into the carriage. It was really shocking. I’m still shaking.”

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Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois said 44 people were injured, including an 18-year-old woman evacuated “in a critical condition”, while tests for drugs and alcohol on the train driver had come back negative.

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SNCF Réseau, which controls the French rail network, told AFP that traffic on the line has been suspended and power to the tracks cut to allow emergency services to operate.

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“The priority is to care for the passengers and then to restore safe operating conditions,” SNCF Réseau said.

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Rail authorities and the police are investigating the causes of the accident.

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AFP

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