French authorities are investigating a train derailment in Normandy that injured 44 people for possible sabotage after a piece of rail was found on the track.
The regional train was carrying 186 passengers from Rouen to Caen when it derailed Friday evening at Cléon, causing one carriage to tip onto its side.
A spokeswoman for France’s national police communications service, Service d’Information et de Communication de la Police Nationale (SICOP), told the Associated Press that a piece of rail found on the track was “probably” linked to the derailment.
“The reasons for its presence are unknown and will have to be determined by the investigation,” Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois said, according to Agence France-Presse.
Cléon Mayor Melanie Delacour said the victims were “in a state of shock.”
“The windows of the carriages that remained upright shattered, and because of the train’s speed, stones flew into the carriages,” she told AFP.
Per police, the prosecutor’s office has remained cautious about drawing conclusions while the investigation is underway.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said 140 firefighters and other emergency teams were deployed to the scene of the crash on Friday.
One of the injured victims was an 18-year-old woman who was evacuated to Rouen University Hospital by helicopter in critical condition, police said.
“Suddenly there were a few jolts, and then after about three seconds it got stronger and stronger,” Louis, a train passenger, told ICI Normandie radio. “I couldn’t stay in my seat any more. The windows partially shattered, the stones from the track came into the carriage. It was really shocking. I’m still shaking.”
Hellbound and Down 