A train derailment in northwest France that injured 44 people, including one critically, is being investigated as a possible act of sabotage, a police source said on Saturday.
The train, carrying 186 passengers, was traveling between the Normandy cities of Rouen and Caen when it derailed at around 7:45 p.m. Friday.
Investigators found a fragment of rail on the track, prompting authorities to treat the possibility of a malicious act as the main line of inquiry, according to the source.
Mass-casualty response activated
Authorities activated a mass-casualty response plan following the derailment, deploying 130 firefighters, five medical teams and 80 vehicles to the scene.
Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois said 44 people were injured, including an 18-year-old woman who was evacuated in critical condition. Tests for alcohol and drugs on the train driver came back negative, he said.
SNCF Reseau, which manages France's rail network, said traffic on the line had been suspended and power to the tracks cut to allow emergency crews to operate safely.
Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the derailment and the rail fragment found at the scene.
