Criminal derailment of regional train near Rouen: 44 injured, rail section found on track
A regional train linking Rouen to Caen derailed on Friday evening in Cléon, injuring 44 people. A section of rail placed on the track is the main line of investigation.
Criminal lead after Rouen-Caen regional train derailment in Cléon
A deliberate act could be behind the derailment of a regional train that occurred on Friday at approximately 19:45 between Tourville and Elbeuf-Saint-Aubin stations, on the territory of the commune of Cléon (Seine-Maritime), south of Rouen. According to rtl.be, the toll stands at 44 injured, including a young woman initially classified as requiring "absolute emergency care" whose life is no longer in danger.
The train, composed of two units and carrying 186 passengers, was operating the Rouen-Caen service at the time of the incident.
A section of rail at the centre of the investigation
"The main hypothesis is the presence—on one of the rails of the track—of a rail section, which could be at the origin of this derailment," said Saturday Rouen prosecutor Sébastien Gallois in an official statement. "The causes of this presence are unknown and will need to be identified by the investigation," he added.
The train's black box has been seized. Investigations, notably forensic police operations, are continuing "actively", according to the magistrate. Several interviews are scheduled, and a judicial expert has been called upon to establish the exact circumstances of the derailment. The investigation has been handed over to Rouen's judicial police.
On Saturday early afternoon, some fifteen investigators were present at the scene, located in a meander of the Seine in close proximity to the Renault factory in Cléon, according to an AFP photographer's observation.
"An act that can be described as criminal"
Hervé Morin, president of the Normandy region, was more direct in his assessment: "The most probable hypothesis today is an act that is not simply a malicious act but an act that can be described as criminal." He stressed that the leading unit had overturned under the force of the impact, ending up facing Rouen whilst it was travelling towards Caen.
The rail section found on the track is estimated at "between 250 and 300 kilogrammes", Morin clarified to AFP. He ruled out any accidental origin: a train had run on this same section an hour before the derailment without incident, and no work had taken place in the interim. The maximum speed authorised on this section is 120 km/h.
Passengers in shock, carriage lying on its side
One carriage lay on its side; four others left the rails. The violence of the derailment deeply affected witnesses.
"Suddenly there were a few jolts, then after three seconds it became increasingly violent," said Louis, 24, a passenger on the train, to ICI Normandie. "It was really shocking, I'm still trembling from it."
The mayor of Cléon, Mélanie Delacour, whose municipality accommodated passengers overnight, described to AFP victims "in shock, because it was violent. The windows of the carriages that remained upright smashed, and with the speed, stones came through the windows of the carriages." Some passengers, she added, "say 'I will never take the train again'. It is a tragedy that could have been a catastrophe of very large proportions."
Injured and emergency response
Among the 44 injured, 26 with minor injuries were treated in four healthcare facilities in Rouen. During the night, 21 of them were able to return home; five remained hospitalised on Saturday by mid-day, according to Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot, who commented on X. The main victim, requiring absolute emergency care at the time of the incident, remains hospitalised but is no longer in danger.
Shortly after the accident, 130 firefighters, five medical teams and 80 vehicles were mobilised at the scene.
Railway traffic disrupted
Railway traffic, interrupted on several lines around the area—notably Paris-Rouen and Rouen-Amiens—was restored on Saturday morning, according to a SNCF Réseau spokesperson. However, the Rouen-Caen line, which normally operates ten return journeys per day on weekdays and six at the weekend, remains interrupted.
SNCF Réseau teams at the scene must wait for the prosecutor to "release the zone" before they can inspect the tracks and organise train recovery operations. The deadline for this handover remains undetermined at this stage.
Source: Google News BE FR