44 Injured as Passenger Train Derails in France

At least 44 people were injured after a passenger train carrying about 180 passengers derailed near Cléon in Normandy, northern France, on Friday evening.

The train was travelling from Rouen to Caen when it went off the tracks at about 7:45 p.m. local time, according to French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot.

One 18-year-old woman sustained critical injuries and was airlifted to Rouen University Hospital, while 43 other passengers suffered minor injuries, local authorities said.

One carriage overturned and four others derailed in the incident, prompting authorities to activate a mass-casualty response plan.

About 130 firefighters, five medical teams and 80 emergency vehicles were deployed to the scene to assist passengers and the injured.

A police spokesperson said the train appeared to have struck an unidentified object before derailing, although the exact cause remained under investigation.

The French railway operator, SNCF Réseau, suspended services on the affected line and cut power to the tracks to allow emergency teams to operate safely.

Authorities also advised members of the public to avoid the area around the crash site.

The Rouen prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the incident. Initial tests on the train driver for drugs and alcohol were negative, according to the prosecutor.