busybeeburns Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Deadly French train crash at Bretigny-sur-Orge Seven people have been killed in a train crash at Bretigny-sur-Orge, south of the French capital Paris, officials say. The intercity train had just left Paris and was heading towards Limoges when it derailed, crashing into a station platform at about 17:00 (16:00 GMT). Passengers were said to be trapped inside the train and a local official said there were "many casualties". Interior Minister Manuel Valls said seven people died and dozens were hurt. It was a "constantly evolving" situation, he told reporters. Bretigny mayor and local MP Michel Pouzol said four of the carriages were lying wrecked on the station platform. He said the emergency services were responding to a "red alert", put into action when many casualties are expected. A police source told the AFP news agency the train had crashed at high speed and split in two - part of it continued along the track while the other section rolled onto its side. The cause of the crash is as yet unclear. Other media reports spoke of passengers being electrocuted and crushed. Guillaume Pepy, president of the French rail company SNCF, said it was a "catastrophe". The company said 385 passengers were on board when it crashed. French routes were particularly busy at the time of the crash due to the run-up to a holiday weekend marking Sunday's Bastille Day. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23294630 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coeurli Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 François Hollande left the Presidential palace 20 minutes ago to go to Bretigny, according to 20Minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coeurli Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I just read that a bunch of people stoned some ambulance cars and stole phones from the doctors on site. Wow. As of 21h, there are 6 dead, 180 hurt (including 22 very severely hurt). 300 emergency services workers are on site. Many people are still stuck in the wagons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coeurli Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 The President said they're going to open 3 investigations to determine the causes of the catastrophe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coeurli Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 According to the latest reports, there are 6 dead, 9 hurt "in state of absolute emergency", 22 others hurt and 227 other people that were taken care of by the emergency services. It is also mentioned that, for now, there aren't a priori any kids among the people who died. It is still unknown whether the conductor of the train is among the victims. François Hollande said there will be one judiciary investigation, one internal investigation (SNCF) and one led by the transport ministry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Track Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I just read that a bunch of people stoned some ambulance cars and stole phones from the doctors on site. Wow. What in the world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince Myshkin Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 13 July 2013 Last updated at 07:41 GMT French train crash: Rescue goes on at Bretigny-sur-Orge Rescue efforts are continuing to find the passengers of a train that crashed at Bretigny-sur-Orge, south of Paris, on Friday afternoon. At least six people have been killed and 30 injured, eight seriously, the French prime minister has said. The train had just left Paris and was heading for Limoges when it derailed, crashing into a station platform. Investigations are getting under way into the cause of the accident, which happened at 17:14 (15:14 GMT). Rescuers have been searching throughout the night for anyone who might be trapped in the wreckage. Guillaume Pepy, president of the SNCF rail service, said six carriages had derailed during the accident. The train's third and fourth carriages derailed first and the others followed. He expressed "solidarity" with the victims and their families, adding "rail catastrophes are something that upset the whole public". Investigations will be undertaken by the SNCF, judicial authorities and France's BEA safety agency. Local media said a group of people had attempted to steal from the victims shortly after the crash, by pretending to be taking part in the rescue efforts. They reportedly threw stones at emergency workers as they tried to reach passengers. Crowded French transport routes were particularly busy at the time of the crash due to the run-up to a holiday weekend marking Sunday's Bastille Day. French President Francois Hollande has visited the scene to express his shock at the accident. He said that the station would be closed for three days while investigations were carried out. "We should avoid unnecessary speculation. What happened will eventually be known and the proper conclusions will be drawn," he said. The rail company SNCF said 385 passengers were on board when the train crashed. The station platforms were crowded at the start of a holiday weekend. British student Marvin Khareem Wone was on a train on another platform when the carriages of the intercity ploughed into the station. "The train went off the railway; it just went on the platform and kind of flew in the air for a second and went upside down," he told the BBC. "The first and the second coach were completely destroyed. I really thought no-one could survive that because it was completely mashed up. Everyone was crying and running everywhere. A woman was crying for her daughter who was still on the train." 'Images of war' Because of the damage to the station, he said ambulances could not reach the platform and the lift was not working. Other media reports spoke of passengers being electrocuted and crushed. "I saw many wounded women children trapped inside," Vianey Kalisa, who was waiting for his train from Bretigny to Paris, told AFP. "People were screaming. A man had blood on his face. These are images of war," he said. The train had left Paris-Austerlitz station at 16 :53 local time and was due to arrive at Limoges-Benedictins at 20:05, SNCF said in a statement. The BBC's Hugh Schofield says that in May, the company warned passengers that points work was being carried out in the area, where intercity and commuter lines dovetail. It is not clear if the earlier points problems are connected with Friday's crash, he says. Worst French train accidents Jul- Aug 1985: More than 80 killed in three separate train crashes in Paris, the south-west and north Jun 1988: 56 killed when two suburban trains collide at Gare de Lyon in Paris Oct 1991: 16 die in collision between Nice-Paris sleeper and freight train Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coeurli Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 The prefecture now states that no one tried to steal anything from the victims. One person was put under custody for stealing a phone of an emergency worker. Stones were thrown at a firemen truck, but it wasn't hit. According to the transport ministry, there was no actual, serious act committed in groups. The prefecture and the transport ministry say that the media exaggerated things a little. Still, a bunch of stupid kids did try to throw stones at a firemen truck. Idiots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 ^ Thanks for clearing that up. Nice to know the facts as news items are often twisted by the media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Latest news: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ French crash 'blamed on track fault' Friday's train derailment that left six people dead may have been caused by a rail connector which had come loose, state train company SNCF says. More here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23298374 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Rose Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 RIP to the decreased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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