Dozens Injured After Train Derails in ‘Sabotage’ Plot

A passenger train carrying nearly 200 people derailed in France Friday night, leaving 44 people injured and triggering a criminal investigation into what authorities fear may have been a deliberate act.

The train was traveling between Rouen and Caen in Normandy when it suddenly derailed near the town of Cléon at around 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 11.

There were 186 passengers on board.

More than 100 firefighters and four medical teams rushed to the scene as shattered windows, debris and terrified passengers filled the damaged train cars.

An 18-year-old woman was seriously injured and had to be airlifted to Rouen University Hospital. Authorities later said her condition had improved and she was no longer considered to be in life-threatening danger.

Another 43 people were treated for minor injuries.

Passenger Louis, 24, described the frightening moments before the train came off the tracks.

“Suddenly, there were a few jolts, then after three seconds, it got stronger and stronger,” he said.

Louis said the shaking became so violent that he could no longer remain seated and had to grab onto the seat in front of him.

“We started to derail, the windows partially shattered, especially at the front of the carriage,” he said. “Stones from the track flew everywhere in the carriage. There was broken glass everywhere. It was really quite shocking.”

Passengers who escaped without injuries were taken to a nearby building made available by the mayor of Cléon while emergency crews worked at the scene.

By Saturday afternoon, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said 21 injured passengers had already been released from the hospital, with several more expected to leave soon.

But investigators are now focusing on what may have caused the derailment — and whether someone intentionally placed an object on the tracks.

Rouen public prosecutor Sébastien Gallois said authorities believe a piece of rail may have been lying across one of the tracks when the train approached.

“At this stage, the main hypothesis is the presence of a piece of rail on one of the tracks, which could be the cause of the derailment,” Gallois said.

How the piece of rail ended up there remains unknown.

The Rouen criminal investigation department has taken over the case amid suspicions of a possible malicious act.

Investigators have seized the train’s black box, and a forensic expert has been brought in to help determine exactly what happened.

The French national railway company SNCF expressed support for the injured passengers, their families and emergency workers responding to the crash.

Train service in the area has been disrupted while authorities continue their investigation, with replacement buses being used to transport passengers.

For now, investigators are working to determine whether the terrifying derailment was an accident — or something far more sinister.