French authorities are investigating whether sabotage caused a train derailment that injured 44 people in Normandy. The TER train, travelling between the Normandy cities of Rouen and Caen, derailed at around 7.45pm local time on Friday, local authorities said. The crash happened near the commune of Cléon, just south of Rouen.
Details of the Derailment
One carriage overturned and four carriages derailed, French broadcaster BFMTV reported. A mass-casualty emergency plan was activated, with 140 firefighters deployed to the scene. An 18-year-old woman is in a critical condition, while 43 others sustained "non-life-threatening" injuries, authorities said. There were 186 passengers on the train at the time.
Criminal Investigation Launched
President of the Normandy region, Hervé Morin, told the AFP: "The most likely scenario at this stage is that this was not simply a malicious act, but one that can be described as criminal." He said the section of rail did not "just end up on the tracks given that a train had passed an hour earlier and no maintenance work had been carried out in the meantime."
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. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she wasn't authorized to be publicly named in line with police policy. Investigators were working to establish whether the circumstances were accidental or involved sabotage, the service said.
Prosecutor's Statement
The prosecutor's office remained cautious about drawing conclusions, according to the police. "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," said prosecutor Sébastien Gallois in a press release. "The train's 'black box' has been seized. Several interviews are scheduled, and a court-appointed expert has been called in. The main victim is still in hospital but her life is no longer in danger. The other victims have received care and treatment; they have either been discharged or are about to be."
By noon local time on Saturday, Sept. 12, Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said, per Le Figaro, 21 of the wounded were discharged from the hospital and many others were about to be. He wrote on X: "Among the lightly injured, 26 were treated yesterday in four healthcare facilities in Rouen. 21 were able to return home during the night, and five are still being cared for."
