A falling boulder derailed a tourist train in the southern French Alps, killing two people and injuring several others, local officials and firefighters have confirmed.
The train, travelling from Nice to Digne-les-Bains on a scenic line through gorges and viaducts at heights of up to 1,000 metres, was struck by a rock the size of a car. Images show the two-carriage train dangling from the tracks, with the side of one carriage crushed.
Local prosecutor Stephane Kellenberger told AFP that one of the deceased was a Russian woman, while the other victim was from the Alps region. One of the injured is in a critical condition; others, including the driver, sustained lighter injuries.
Jean Ballester, mayor of nearby Annot, told BFM television: 'A rock the size of a car came off the mountainside and slammed into the first car of the train.' There were 34 people on board at the time.
Around 110 firefighters and 32 vehicles, along with two helicopters, were deployed, but heavy snow and the remote location hampered rescue efforts. Regional transport official Jean-Yves Petit said the line, which regularly experiences snow and rockfalls, is considered safe even in winter.
