Train derails in France; at least six dead

PARIS — A train departing from Paris at the start of the summer holiday season derailed on Friday evening 12 miles south of the French capital, killing at least six people and seriously injuring 22 others, in what was being described as one of the worst train accidents the country has seen in recent years.

About 370 passengers were on the train that departed from the Gare d’Austerlitz in Paris, headed toward Limoges in the center of France, when the third and fourth cars derailed soon after 5 p.m. in the station at Bretigny-sur-Orge.

The derailed cars pulled other cars off the track, trapping some passengers and flinging others onto the railway and as far as a nearby parking lot. The injured included people on the station’s platform as well as on the train.

President Francois Hollande arrived on the scene Friday evening and spoke with victims and their families. He called the accident “hideous, atrocious,” but assured that “France is a country that is able to pull itself together when faced with a catastrophe.”

Hollande also said it was still unclear what had caused the crash, but promised that any findings would be swiftly publicized. Meanwhile, French legal authorities, the Ministry of Transportation and SNCF, the national train company, have launched separate investigations into the incident.

“The first thoughts we all have is one of solidarity with the families, and a very, very large amount of emotion, because railroad disasters are a shocking thing,” said SNCF chief Guillaume Pepy, holding back tears while speaking on television.

Television news reports showed images of broken and bent metal spilling over the station platform, into one stairwell, as well as crumpled and damaged wagons knocked onto the railroad or leaning over. Adults holding children in their arms could be seen waiting in an area cordoned off for the lightly injured and leaving the station. The train had never been scheduled to stop in the station in the first place.

Survivors described a series of sudden shocks that lasted up to 20 seconds as the train passed through the train station.

“There was smoke everywhere,” said a passenger seated at the relatively untouched head of the train, who spoke to French BFM television and identified himself as Laurent. “There are injured and dead people. ... A lot of people are injured, and there’s a lot of shock for some, people crying.”

“At first we had the impression we were rolling over rocks,” said another survivor, identifying himself as Clement. “I heard people crying and screaming. I thought I was going to die. It was like in a movie. It was really hard to go through.”

Parisian hospitals went on alert to handle the injured, who also included 17 lightly injured victims and dozens of people in shock. The more serious injuries included multiple trauma victims, amputees, injuries to the chest, head traumas and hemorrhages, according to the French daily Le Figaro.

“We have every means necessary to help the victims,” said Michel Fuzeau, the prefect of the local Essonne region. The area surrounding the accident was packed with emergency cars and personnel, and the army was deployed to help block off the area.

Traffic was interrupted at the Gare D’Austerlitz on Friday evening, but was expected to return to normal later in the night. The Bretigny-sur-Orge, however, will remain closed for the next three days.

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