A train with 186 passengers on board derailed in northwest France on Friday, injuring 44 people, one seriously, according to officials.
According to Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot, the train was running between the Normandy cities of Rouen and Caen.
According to local authorities, the train derailed around 7:45 p.m. (1745 GMT), and a mass-casualty response plan was launched, with 130 firefighters, five medical teams, and 80 vehicles sent.
“Suddenly there were a few jolts, and then after about three seconds it got stronger and stronger,” one of the passengers, Louis, 24, told ICI Normandie radio.
“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 said 44 people were hurt, including an 18-year-old woman who was evacuated in “critical condition,” and that tests for drugs and alcohol on the train driver came back negative.
SNCF Réseau, which manages the French rail network, said AFP that traffic on the line has been suspended and electricity to the tracks has been turned off to allow emergency services to operate.
“The priority is to care for the passengers and then to restore safe operating conditions,” SNCF Réseau said.
The rail authorities and the police are examining the accident’s causes.
