Authorities in northern France are examining the circumstances surrounding a passenger train derailment that occurred on Friday evening near Cléon, south of Rouen. The incident involved a train operating between Rouen and Caen in Normandy, which was carrying 186 passengers at the time of the accident.
Prosecutor Sébastien Gallois indicated that investigators are considering whether the derailment resulted from a deliberate act. According to the prosecutor, the current working theory suggests that a piece of rail found on one of the tracks may have caused the derailment, though the reason for its presence remains under investigation. The train’s data recording device, commonly referred to as the “black box,” has been secured as part of the investigation.
The derailment occurred shortly before 20:00 local time and resulted in significant injuries among passengers and crew. Forty-four individuals required medical treatment, with one 18-year-old woman airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. Prosecutors subsequently reported that this primary victim remained hospitalized but was no longer facing life-threatening dangers. The remaining injured individuals either received discharge or were in the process of being treated.
Emergency response to the incident was swift, with approximately 140 firefighters and other emergency personnel deployed to the scene. The train operator tested negative for drugs and alcohol, according to the Rouen prosecutor’s office. Investigators have scheduled multiple interviews and engaged a court-appointed expert to examine evidence from the crash. Passenger accounts described sudden jolts followed by increasingly violent movement, with windows partially shattering and track stones entering the passenger compartments during the incident.
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