Police Investigate Possible Deliberate Act in France Train Crash
French police are investigating whether a deliberate act may have caused a train to derail near Rouen.
The train derailed on Friday evening near Cléon, south of Rouen, while traveling toward Caen. There were 186 people on board.
Police found a piece of rail on the track where the train derailed. Investigators believe the train may have hit an unknown object before two carriages left the tracks.
The train driver’s alcohol and drug tests were negative. The exact cause of the crash has not yet been confirmed.
A total of 44 people were injured. An 18-year-old woman was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Rouen in critical condition. The other 43 people suffered less serious injuries.
About 130 firefighters, five medical teams and 80 emergency vehicles were sent to the scene.
Train services between Rouen and Caen, as well as Caen and Le Havre, have been heavily disrupted. Investigators must first clear the accident site before railway workers can begin removing the damaged train and debris.
It is not yet clear when normal train services will resume.
