French Police Investigate Sabotage in Normandy Train Derailment That Injured 44
On Saturday, a police source indicated that investigators are looking into the possibility of sabotage as the cause of a train derailment in northwest France, which left 44 individuals injured, one of them seriously. A piece of rail found on the tracks has led authorities to prioritize malicious intent as their main theory. The train, which was en route from Rouen to Caen in Normandy with 186 passengers aboard, derailed around 7:45 PM local time on Friday near the Renault factory in Cleon. In response, a mass-casualty plan was initiated, involving 130 firefighters, five medical teams, and 80 vehicles. Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois confirmed the injuries, including a critically injured 18-year-old woman, and noted that the train driver tested negative for drugs and alcohol.
Key facts
- A train derailment in northwest France injured 44 people, one gravely.
- A fragment of rail was found on the track, leading investigators to treat a malicious act as the main line of inquiry.
- The train carried 186 passengers and was running between Rouen and Caen.
- The derailment occurred around 7.45pm local time on Friday near Renault's factory in Cleon.
- Authorities activated a mass-casualty plan with 130 firefighters, five medical teams and 80 vehicles.
- An AFP photographer saw railway staff working around the train on Saturday morning.
- Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois said an 18-year-old woman was evacuated in critical condition.
- Drug and alcohol tests on the train driver came back negative.
Entities
Artists
- Sebastien Gallois
Institutions
- Renault
- AFP
Locations
- France
- Normandy
- Rouen
- Caen
- Cleon