Reports: French investigators probe intent after train derailment

DPASat, September 12, 2026 at 9:33 AM UTC1 min readAdd Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.Key takeawaysPowered by Yahoo Scout. Yahoo is using AI to generate key points from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.

• French investigators suspect the train derailment in northern France may have been caused by a malicious act, with a piece of rail found on the track.
• The regional train, carrying around 180 passengers between Rouen and Caen, derailed with no official confirmed information yet on the cause.
• An 18-year-old woman was seriously injured in the incident, with passengers describing dramatic moments before and after the accident, including windows shattering and suitcases flying around.

See more

French investigators believe the train derailment in northern France that has left at least 44 people injured may have been the result of a malicious act, local media reported on Saturday, citing police sources.

A piece of rail has been found on the track, according to the reports.

There was still no official confirmed information on Saturday morning about what caused the regional train, carrying around 180 passengers between Rouen and Caen, to derail.

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement

No new information was initially available on the condition of an 18-year-old woman who was seriously injured in Friday's incident.

Broadcaster BFMTV reported that the train was believed to have collided with an as yet unidentified object at around 7:30 pm (1730 GMT), causing five carriages to come off the tracks, one of which overturned.

One passenger described the dramatic moments before and after the accident to the broadcaster, saying it initially felt like an emergency stop before the train began shaking as it left the tracks and travelled over gravel.

"Our window shattered, smoke rose and suitcases flew around," the passenger said. "Then we saw the other carriage rush past our window."

AdvertisementAdvertisement

He said passengers were initially left to fend for themselves and forced open a door because no train staff could be seen.

More than 130 firefighters, 50 police officers and 80 vehicles were deployed to the scene, according to media reports.