Authorities in northwestern France suspect sabotage after a regional train from Rouen to Caen derailed near Cléon, injuring 44 people. The train, carrying 186 passengers, saw one carriage overturn and four others leave the tracks; an 18-year-old woman was airlifted to Rouen University Hospital. A fragment of rail found on the track is "probably" linked to the incident, but prosecutors say the cause remains under investigation. Local officials reported shattered windows and passengers in shock.
Suspected Sabotage After Train Derailment in Northwest France Injures 44
Investigators suspect that the derailment of a TER train carrying 186 passengers between Rouen and Caen in northwest France was the result of sabotage. / Credit: Guillaume SALIGOT /AFP via Getty Images
Authorities in northwestern France are investigating a suspected act of sabotage after a regional train traveling from Rouen to Caen derailed near Cléon on Friday evening, injuring 44 people.
What Happened
The regional train, carrying 186 passengers, came off the tracks near Cléon. One carriage toppled onto its side and four others left the rails. An 18-year-old woman was among those injured and was airlifted to Rouen University Hospital.
Evidence and Investigation
A spokeswoman for the French national police communications service (SICOP) told The Associated Press that a piece of rail found on the track was "probably" linked to the derailment. She spoke on the condition of anonymity under police policy.
A total of 44 people were injured, including a woman who was evacuated, after a derailment of a TER train carrying 186 passengers between Rouen and Caen. / Credit: GUILLAUME SALIGOT /AFP via Getty Images
"The reasons for its presence are unknown and will have to be determined by the investigation," Rouen prosecutor Sébastien Gallois said, according to Agence France-Presse.
Investigators were working to establish whether the circumstances were accidental or the result of deliberate sabotage. The prosecutor's office has urged caution and said it will wait for forensic and technical findings before drawing conclusions.
Impact and Reactions
Local officials said many passengers were in shock. Cléon's mayor, Mélanie Delacour, told AFP that windows on some carriages shattered and that stones were flung into the compartments because of the train's speed, compounding injuries.
Context
French railways have experienced deadly accidents in the past, including the 2013 derailment at Brétigny-sur-Orge, which killed seven people, and a 2015 test-run TGV derailment at Eckwersheim near Strasbourg, which killed 11. Authorities have said they are treating the current incident with urgency while the investigation continues.
Further updates will follow as investigators release more information.
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