A passenger train derailed in Normandy on Friday evening, injuring at least 44 people including an 18-year-old woman who was airlifted in critical condition, as French authorities launched a mass-casualty response and opened an investigation into the cause.
The train was operating between the Normandy cities of Rouen and Caen when it came off the tracks near the commune of Cléon, just south of Rouen, on Friday evening, according to the BBC. The BBC described the location as northern France. Al Jazeera called it northwestern France. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the crash prompted a major deployment of emergency teams to the scene, the BBC reported. The cause was not immediately known.
Accounts of the basic facts differed slightly between the two outlets reporting the story, particularly on the number of passengers on board and the exact timing of the crash. The BBC, citing Tabarot, reported that 180 passengers were on the train at the time of the derailment. Al Jazeera, also citing Tabarot but noting that he made his remarks on the social media platform X, reported the figure as 186 passengers. The two outlets also reported different times for the incident. The BBC said the crash occurred shortly before 20:00 local time, which it converted to 18:00 GMT. Al Jazeera placed the time at about 7:45pm, which it converted to 17:45 GMT. Neither outlet explained the discrepancy in either the passenger count or the timing.
Local authorities said they had activated a mass-casualty response plan after the crash, both outlets reported. The BBC reported that 140 firefighters and other emergency teams were being deployed to the scene. Al Jazeera provided a more detailed breakdown of the emergency response, reporting that local authorities had deployed 130 firefighters, five medical teams, and 80 vehicles to the scene. The discrepancy in the number of firefighters between the two reports was not explained in either account, and neither outlet specified how long the emergency response operations would continue at the site.
Passenger describes violent jolts and shattered windows
Photographs later emerged showing passengers leaving the crashed train. French media reported that three carriages overturned. SNCF, France’s state-owned railway operator, reported what it described as significant disruptions on its routes in the area surrounding the crash site. The company said replacement buses would be provided for affected passengers whose journeys were interrupted by the crash. The authorities advised the public to avoid the area near the commune of Cléon, where emergency teams were still operating.
One passenger, identified only as Louis, 24, told local radio station ICI Normandie that the derailment began with a few jolts before the shaking intensified over the course of about three seconds, making it impossible to remain seated. ‘I couldn’t stay in my seat any more,’ 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 confirmed that 44 people were injured in the crash, Al Jazeera reported. Among them was an 18-year-old woman. He described her condition as critical. According to the prefecture of Seine-Maritime, the young woman was evacuated by helicopter to Rouen University Hospital. The BBC reported that an 18-year-old woman was airlifted in critical condition by helicopter to hospital, without specifying the name of the medical facility. The identities and conditions of the remaining injured passengers were not disclosed in either report.
SNCF Reseau, which manages France’s rail network, said traffic on the line had been suspended and power to the tracks was cut to allow emergency services to operate, Al Jazeera reported. ‘The priority is to care for the passengers and then to restore safe operating conditions,’ the company said in a statement. The company did not provide a timeline for when normal rail service would resume on the affected line.
Gallois said tests for drugs and alcohol on the train driver had come back negative, according to Al Jazeera. Rail authorities and police are investigating the cause of the derailment, though no initial findings have been released. No further details about the scope or focus of the investigation were immediately available from either source.