Passenger train derails in France; 44 injured — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Forty-four people have been injured after a passenger train derailed in northwestern France, reports say. Al Jazeera, quoting local officials, reported that the incident occurred on Friday evening when the train, carrying 186 passengers, was travelling between Rouen and Caen in the Normandy region. Local officials said a mass-casualty response plan was activated following the derailment, with 130 firefighters, five medical teams and 80 emergency vehicles dispatched to the scene. The Rouen prosecutor said 44 people were injured, including an 18-year-old girl who was in critical condition and airlifted to a hospital. Train services along the route were suspended following the derailment, while power to the railway lines was also cut to facilitate rescue and emergency operations. French railway and police authorities said an investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the derailment. Drug and alcohol tests on the train driver were reportedly negative.