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French Officials Investigate Train Derailment in Normandy
Confirmed
In Short: French authorities are investigating whether a train derailment in Normandy, which injured 44 people, was caused by sabotage, after a piece of rail was found on the track.
French officials are investigating whether a train derailment in Normandy, which injured 44 people, was caused by sabotage, after a piece of rail was found on the track. The train, carrying 186 passengers from Rouen to Caen, derailed near Cléon, prompting an immediate emergency response with 130 firefighters and five medical teams dispatched to the scene.
Prosecutor Sébastien Gallois stated that the leading theory is that a piece of rail caused the derailment, though the reason for its presence remains unknown. The 'black box' from the train has been seized, and several interviews are scheduled, with a court-appointed expert also involved in the investigation.
Passenger Louis described the moment of the derailment, saying, 'Suddenly there were a few jolts, and then after about three seconds it got stronger and stronger.' The train driver tested negative for drugs and alcohol, according to the Rouen prosecutor's office.
France has a history of rail disasters, including a high-speed train derailment in 2013 that killed seven people and a 2015 incident near Strasbourg that killed 11. The current investigation is focusing on the possibility of sabotage, as local media reports suggest.
What's confirmed
- "At this stage, the leading theory is that a piece of rail was present on one of the tracks, potentially causing the derailment. The reason for its presence is unknown," prosecutor Sébastien Gallois said on Saturday.
- The regional train was carrying 186 passengers from Rouen to Caen when it derailed Friday evening at Cléon, in the Seine-Maritime department of northwestern France.
What's still developing
- A spokeswoman for the French national police communications service, known as SICOP, said that the piece of rail found on the track was “probably” linked to the derailment.
- More recently, a crash involving two high-speed trains at Adamuz in southern Spain killed 46 people and injured more than 100 in January, according to the Andalusian regional government.