- SNCF and police launch investigation into cause of accident.
- Driver tests negative for drugs, alcohol, says Rouen prosecutor.
- Over 130 firefighters, 5 medical teams, dozens of vehicles deployed.
PARIS: A passenger train travelling between Rouen and Caen in northern France derailed on Friday evening, injuring 44 people, including an 18-year-old woman who was evacuated by helicopter in critical condition, French authorities said.
The train was carrying around 180 passengers when it went off the rails near the town of Cléon in Normandy at about 7:30pm local time, according to French officials and railway operator SNCF.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the train derailed near Cléon and that emergency crews had been deployed to assist passengers and those injured in the accident.
The cause of the derailment was not immediately established.
A French police spokesperson said the train appeared to have derailed after hitting an unidentified object, while SNCF and police launched an investigation into the circumstances of the accident.
Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois said 44 people were injured, including the woman in critical condition.
Tests for drugs and alcohol carried out on the train driver were negative, he said.
A mass-casualty response plan was activated following the accident, with more than 130 firefighters, five medical teams and dozens of emergency vehicles sent to the scene.
Tabarot separately said about 140 firefighters were involved in the emergency response.
One passenger, 24-year-old Louis, described a series of jolts before the train began shaking more violently.
He told ICI Normandie radio that he could no longer remain in his seat and that windows partially shattered, with stones from the railway track entering the carriage.
“It was really shocking. I’m still shaking,” he said.
SNCF Réseau, which operates France’s rail infrastructure, said rail traffic on the affected line had been suspended and power to the tracks was cut to allow emergency teams to work safely.
Services between Rouen and Caen, as well as between Caen and Le Havre, were suspended, with replacement buses to be arranged, SNCF said.
The Seine-Maritime prefecture urged people to avoid the area while emergency services and investigators remained at the scene.
Rail authorities and police are continuing to investigate what caused the train to derail.
