See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy ISABELLA MACHIN, REPORTER Published: 23:23 BST, 11 September 2026 | Updated: 01:48 BST, 12 September 2026
At least 44 people were injured, including one in a critical condition, after a passenger train derailed in northern France, officials said.Three carriages overturned on tracks between the cities of Rouen and Caen on Friday at around 7.45pm local time. The train was carrying 180 passengers and went off the rails near the town of Cleon in Normandy, French transport minister Philippe Tabarot said in a post on X.The incident occurred after the train hit an unidentified object on the track, a spokesperson for the French police said.There were 140 firefighters at the scene to help the injured and the passengers, he added. Local media outlets reported an 18-year-old suffered serious injuries and was in a critical condition, while the 43 other passengers had minor injuries.The teenage girl was airlifted to Rouen University Hospital, while the other passengers were taken to Cleon Town Hall. One carriage overturned and four carriages derailed around 7.30pm local time, French TV station BFMTV reported. Rescue members work at the site after a train carrying 180 passengers derailed between the cities of Rouen and Caen in northern France Police officers blockaded the road after a train carrying 180 passengers went off the rails after hitting an object The train travelling from Rouen to Caen derailed and overturned near the municipality of Cleon Helicopters attended the scene, with local reports a teenage girl was airlifted to a hospital in a critical conditionThe local authority, the prefecture of Seine-Maritime, advised the public to avoid the area.Louis, 24, who was onboard the train, told local news outlet Ici he was still shaking after the ordeal.He said: 'All of a sudden there were several jerks. At first I thought it was normal, but after two or three seconds, they got stronger and stronger. I was shaken so much I couldn't stay in my seat anymore, I tried to hold onto the seat in front.'We started to derail, the windows partially shattered, especially at the front of the carriage. Stones from the track flew everywhere in the carriage. There was broken glass everywhere. It was really quite shocking, I'm still shaking.'Footage posted to social media showed helicopters hovering above the scene.The train service between Rouen and Caen, and Caen and Le Havre was suspended and a replacement bus service will be put in place, SNCF said. The operator said in a statement: 'SNCF Group expresses its full solidarity with the injured passengers and their loved ones, as well as with all SNCF staff mobilized on site and is committed to providing assistance to passengers during this ordeal. The causes of this accident are not yet known at this stage.'The line's power supply has been cut to allow emergency responders to work at the scene. Police and SNCF have launched a probe into the accident.
