Saturday, September 12, 2026 - A train carrying 186 passengers derailed in northwest France on Friday, injuring 44 people, one of them seriously, officials said.
The train was running between the Normandy cities of Rouen
and Caen, Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said on X.
It derailed around 7:45 pm (1745 GMT), local authorities
said in a statement, and a mass-casualty response plan had been activated, with
130 firefighters, five medical teams and 80 vehicles deployed.
“Suddenly there were a few jolts, and then after about three
seconds it got stronger and stronger,” one of the passengers, Louis, 24, told
ICI Normandie
“I couldn’t stay in my seat anymore,” he said. “The windows
partially shattered; the stones from the track came into the carriage. It was
really shocking. I’m still shaking.”
Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois said 44 people were
injured, including an 18-year-old woman evacuated “in a critical condition”,
while tests for drugs and alcohol on the train driver had come back negative.
SNCF Réseau, which controls the French rail network, told
AFP that traffic on the line has been suspended and power to the tracks cut to
allow emergency services to operate.
“The priority is to care for the passengers and then to
restore safe operating conditions,” SNCF Réseau said.
Rail authorities and the police are investigating the causes
of the accident.
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