13 Passengers Badly Injured When French Train Hits Fallen Tree
Thirteen people were seriously injured when an intercity train traveling 85 mph hit a fallen tree on tracks near the southern French city of Montpellier on Wednesday, emergency services said.
“One passenger is in critical condition and a dozen are badly hurt,” said a paramedic spokesman who gave his name as Captain Mercier, adding that another 50 people were treated for minor injuries at the scene.
The train was traveling at the usual speed for the stretch of track near the village of Saint-Aunes, a spokesman for state rail company SNCF said.
The tree fell across both tracks during a heavy hail storm. Photos on social media showed the crumpled front of the train as well as the inside of a carriage strewn with debris. Reuters could not independently verify the images.
There were about 200 passengers aboard the train when the accident occurred at about 3:30 p.m. (1330 GMT).
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