France: A passenger train travelling between Rouen and Caen derailed near Cléon in Normandy on Friday evening, injuring 44 people, including an 18-year-old woman who was airlifted to hospital in critical condition, French authorities said.
The train was carrying about 180 passengers when it went off the rails at around 7:30pm local time, according to French officials and railway operator SNCF.
What caused the train to derail?
The cause of the accident had not immediately been established.
A French police spokesperson said the train appeared to have derailed after hitting an unidentified object. SNCF and police launched an investigation into the circumstances of the accident.
Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois said 44 people were injured. Tests for drugs and alcohol on the train driver were negative, he said.
How did emergency teams respond?
French authorities activated a mass-casualty response following the derailment.
More than 130 firefighters, five medical teams and dozens of emergency vehicles were deployed to the scene. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot separately said about 140 firefighters were involved in the response.
SNCF Réseau suspended rail traffic on the affected line and cut power to the tracks to allow emergency teams to operate safely.
Services between Rouen and Caen, as well as between Caen and Le Havre, were suspended, with replacement buses planned.
The Seine-Maritime prefecture urged people to avoid the area while emergency crews and investigators continued their work.
Police and rail authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the derailment.