The investigation into this incident was launched after a fragment of a railway track was found on the rails, so sabotage is currently considered the main version.
The train, carrying 186 passengers, was traveling between the Normandy cities of Rouen and Caen when on Friday, around 7:45 p.m. (8:45 p.m. Lithuanian time), it derailed.
Authorities activated a mass disaster response plan: 130 firefighters, five medical teams, and 80 vehicles were deployed to the scene.
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Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois stated that 44 people were injured, including an 18-year-old who was evacuated in “critical condition,” and the train driver’s drug and alcohol tests were negative.
The company managing the French railway network, SNCF Reseau, informed AFP that traffic on the line is suspended and the power supply to the tracks has been cut off to allow rescue services to carry out their work.
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