Train derails in northwest France, 44 injured, one seriously

A train carrying nearly 200 passengers derailed in northwest France on Friday, injuring 44 people, one of them seriously, officials said.

The train was running between the Normandy cities of Rouen and Caen, Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said on X.

It derailed around 7:45 pm (1745 GMT), local authorities said in a statement, and a mass-casualty response plan had been activated.

Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois said 44 people were injured including one woman evacuated "in a critical condition", while "tests" on the train driver had come back negative.

SNCF Reseau, which controls the French rail network, told AFP that traffic on the line has been suspended and power to the tracks cut to allow emergency services to operate.

"The priority is to care for the passengers and then to restore safe operating conditions," SNCF Reseau said.

Rail authorities and the police are investigating the causes of the accident.