Breaking: Train Carrying Over 150 People Derails as Details Emerge
- A passenger train travelling between the Normandy cities of Rouen and Caen derailed in northwest France on Friday evening, September 11
- French authorities activated a mass-casualty response plan, deploying 130 firefighters, five medical teams and 80 vehicles to the scene
- Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois confirmed 44 people were injured, with an 18-year-old woman airlifted in a critical condition
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A passenger train carrying 186 people derailed in northwest France on Friday, July 25, 2026, leaving 44 people injured, one of them critically, according to officials.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot confirmed the train was operating on the route between the Normandy cities of Rouen and Caen when it came off the tracks at around 7:45 pm local time (1745 GMT).
Source: Twitter
Local authorities immediately activated a mass-casualty response plan, dispatching 130 firefighters, five medical teams and 80 vehicles to the site.
Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois said an 18-year-old woman was evacuated in a critical condition, while tests for drugs and alcohol on the train driver returned negative results.
Passengers describe the moment of impact
One passenger, 24-year-old Louis, described the ordeal to ICI Normandie radio, saying the carriage began shaking before the situation rapidly worsened.
"Suddenly there were a few jolts, and then after about three seconds it got stronger and stronger," he said. "I couldn't stay in my seat any more.
The windows partially shattered; the stones from the track came into the carriage. It was really shocking. I'm still shaking."
Rail services suspended as investigation begins
SNCF Réseau, the body responsible for managing France's rail infrastructure, said it cut power to the tracks and suspended all traffic on the line to allow emergency teams to work safely at the scene.
"The priority is to care for the passengers and then to restore safe operating conditions," the organisation said in a statement to AFP.
Rail authorities and police have opened an investigation to determine what caused the derailment. No cause had been officially confirmed at the time of reporting.
Warri–Itakpe train derails, 3 people die
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) confirmed the tragic death of three passengers following the derailment of a train on the Warri–Itakpe Train Service. The tragic incident occurred on Monday, June 8, 2026, at Agbor, Delta State.
NRC said that emergency response teams and relevant authorities are currently at the scene attending to the situation and providing necessary assistance.
Source: Legit.ng
