
A passenger train derailed in northern France on Friday evening, injuring 44 people, including an 18-year-old woman in critical condition, local officials and Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said. The TER service, carrying 180 passengers between Rouen and Caen, left the tracks near the commune of Cléon in Seine-Maritime shortly before 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT).
The woman was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Rouen, while emergency teams, including 140 firefighters, responded to the scene. Authorities activated a mass-casualty plan after the crash, which involved three overturned carriages, according to French media reports. Photographs showed passengers evacuating the train.
Tabarot said the cause of the derailment was not immediately known, though a police representative told Reuters the train may have struck an unknown object. Rouen prosecutor Sébastien Gallois confirmed that drug and alcohol tests on the train driver returned negative results. The SNCF state railway operator reported "significant disruptions" on routes in the area and arranged replacement buses, advising the public to avoid the site.
The SNCF and police have launched an investigation into the incident. Power to the track was cut to allow rescue operations, and traffic between Rouen, Caen, and Le Havre was suspended in both directions. The SNCF expressed solidarity with the injured passengers and their families, pledging full cooperation with the inquiry.
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