At least six people have been killed and more than 20 injured after a train leapt off the tracks and careered across a busy platform at Bretigny-sur-Orge, south of Paris.
The intercity train had only just left Paris and was heading towards Limoges when it derailed, crashing into a station platform at 17:14 local time on Friday [15:14 GMT].
Some 385 passengers were on board when the train crashed, according to SNCF, France's national state-owned railway company. The station platforms were also crowded at the start of a holiday weekend.
The intercity train had only just left Paris and was heading towards Limoges when it derailed, crashing into a station platform at 17:14 local time on Friday [15:14 GMT].
Some 385 passengers were on board when the train crashed, according to SNCF, France's national state-owned railway company. The station platforms were also crowded at the start of a holiday weekend.
Trapped
Many passengers were left trapped inside carriages and had to cut free by rescue workers before being transported to hospital, some by air ambulance. With recovery of the wreckage still taking place into Saturday, and with some of the victims having sustained serious injuries, it is feared the death toll may rise further. Interior minister Manuel Valls said that while only six people had been killed, he added that nine people were gravely injured and warned the number of dead could rise.
Many passengers were left trapped inside carriages and had to cut free by rescue workers before being transported to hospital, some by air ambulance. With recovery of the wreckage still taking place into Saturday, and with some of the victims having sustained serious injuries, it is feared the death toll may rise further. Interior minister Manuel Valls said that while only six people had been killed, he added that nine people were gravely injured and warned the number of dead could rise.
Shock & solidarity
French President Francois Hollande, who visited the scene late Friday, expressed his shock at the accident and called on everyone to think about the victims and their families.
Guillaume Pepy, president of SNCF, also visited the scene of the tragedy and spoke of the company's "solidarity" with the victims. "The first thought we have is solidarity towards the victims and their families and a very great emotion because rail disasters are something that affects everyone in our country." He said there would also be an investigation to determine the cause. "When there is a derailment, this can be either the rail or the wheel. The investigation will determine this."
French President Francois Hollande, who visited the scene late Friday, expressed his shock at the accident and called on everyone to think about the victims and their families.
Guillaume Pepy, president of SNCF, also visited the scene of the tragedy and spoke of the company's "solidarity" with the victims. "The first thought we have is solidarity towards the victims and their families and a very great emotion because rail disasters are something that affects everyone in our country." He said there would also be an investigation to determine the cause. "When there is a derailment, this can be either the rail or the wheel. The investigation will determine this."
Investigation
That investigation has already begun and authorities have said the station will be closed for at least three days while forensic examinations of the scene are are carried out to help determine what led to the derailment. The crash is the most serious incident to have occurred on the French railway network since the 1988 Gare de Lyon train accident which left 56 dead.
Read more: BBC / Sky News / CNN / BFMTV [French] / Wikipedia
tvnewswatch, Kunming, Yunnan, China
That investigation has already begun and authorities have said the station will be closed for at least three days while forensic examinations of the scene are are carried out to help determine what led to the derailment. The crash is the most serious incident to have occurred on the French railway network since the 1988 Gare de Lyon train accident which left 56 dead.
Read more: BBC / Sky News / CNN / BFMTV [French] / Wikipedia
tvnewswatch, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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