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| Mechanical Issues Cited in French Train Derailment | Mechanical Issues Cited in French Train Derailment |
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| BRÉTIGNY-SUR-ORGE, France — Mechanical problems may have been the cause of Friday’s fatal train derailment outside of Paris, France’s transportation minister said Saturday. | |
| A crowded passenger train derailed at a station here, killing at least six people and injuring dozens of others. It was the country’s worst train accident in 25 years. | |
| The train, heading to Limoges from Paris, derailed about 20 miles south of Paris and split in two. Witnesses said the intercity train — not one of France’s TGV high-speed services — had appeared to be going unusually fast and veered off the track as it entered the station, where it was not scheduled to stop. Cars smashed into one another, and some overturned. | |
| On Friday night, the Interior Ministry confirmed that a dozen people had been seriously hurt. Nine of them were in critical condition, 22 had significant injuries and more than 200 were treated by emergency personnel. | |
| Frederic Cuvillier, the transportation minister, said Saturday that a mechanical problem, and not human error, was likely the cause of the derailment, and investigators were looking at possible problems with the switching system as well as other possibilities. | |
| Guillaume Pepy, the president of the French national railway company, SNCF, said at least 370 people were on the train, many of them heading home for a holiday weekend or to central France for summer vacations. The national holiday of Bastille Day is on Sunday. | Guillaume Pepy, the president of the French national railway company, SNCF, said at least 370 people were on the train, many of them heading home for a holiday weekend or to central France for summer vacations. The national holiday of Bastille Day is on Sunday. |
| The train’s third and fourth cars derailed first, then knocked four other cars off the track, Mr. Pepy told reporters, his voice breaking. “Some cars simply derailed, others are leaning, others fell over,” he said. But he said there was no immediately obvious cause for the derailment. | The train’s third and fourth cars derailed first, then knocked four other cars off the track, Mr. Pepy told reporters, his voice breaking. “Some cars simply derailed, others are leaning, others fell over,” he said. But he said there was no immediately obvious cause for the derailment. |
| The accident took place at 5:14 p.m., the SNCF said, 21 minutes after the train, Intercités No. 3657, left the Paris station of Gare d’Austerlitz. Some people were still trapped in the train more than two hours later, Mr. Pepy said. | The accident took place at 5:14 p.m., the SNCF said, 21 minutes after the train, Intercités No. 3657, left the Paris station of Gare d’Austerlitz. Some people were still trapped in the train more than two hours later, Mr. Pepy said. |
| Television images showed one of the carriages smashed against a platform at Brétigny-sur-Orge station as rescue workers helped passengers to safety. | Television images showed one of the carriages smashed against a platform at Brétigny-sur-Orge station as rescue workers helped passengers to safety. |
| One passenger, Marc Cheutin, 57, told Agence France-Presse that he had to “step over a decapitated person” to exit the carriage he had been traveling in. “Shortly after departure, just as I was getting into my book, we felt a first shock that shook the carriage I was in,” he said. “Then there was a second shock, and the carriage lifted up, then a third and a fourth, and the carriage went over on its side.” | One passenger, Marc Cheutin, 57, told Agence France-Presse that he had to “step over a decapitated person” to exit the carriage he had been traveling in. “Shortly after departure, just as I was getting into my book, we felt a first shock that shook the carriage I was in,” he said. “Then there was a second shock, and the carriage lifted up, then a third and a fourth, and the carriage went over on its side.” |
| Vianey Kalisa, 30, who was waiting at the station for a train into Paris, told the news agency, “I saw many wounded, women and children trapped in the interior.” | Vianey Kalisa, 30, who was waiting at the station for a train into Paris, told the news agency, “I saw many wounded, women and children trapped in the interior.” |
| “I trembled like a child,” he said. “People cried. A man’s face was covered in blood. These are the images of war. I’ll never forget it.” | “I trembled like a child,” he said. “People cried. A man’s face was covered in blood. These are the images of war. I’ll never forget it.” |
| Bernard Villaret, 65, an engineer on another train stopped opposite the crash, said, “We saw people with bloodstains on their clothes, people who got out of the train with wounds still bleeding and scratches. They were pale and slightly crazed.” | Bernard Villaret, 65, an engineer on another train stopped opposite the crash, said, “We saw people with bloodstains on their clothes, people who got out of the train with wounds still bleeding and scratches. They were pale and slightly crazed.” |
| But he was impressed by the atmosphere, he said. “You could see that those people were resisting as much as they could; they didn’t panic.” | But he was impressed by the atmosphere, he said. “You could see that those people were resisting as much as they could; they didn’t panic.” |
| Mayor Bernard Decaux told the newspaper Le Parisien that there was chaos at the station after the accident. “Everyone is running in every direction,” he said. “It is an apocalyptic scene. We are trying to organize things.” | Mayor Bernard Decaux told the newspaper Le Parisien that there was chaos at the station after the accident. “Everyone is running in every direction,” he said. “It is an apocalyptic scene. We are trying to organize things.” |
| He said three cars had smashed into one another, while another was lying on its side nearby, its top split open. Photographs of the scene showed that one car had mounted the passenger platform, dislodging part of the roof. | He said three cars had smashed into one another, while another was lying on its side nearby, its top split open. Photographs of the scene showed that one car had mounted the passenger platform, dislodging part of the roof. |
| Dozens of emergency and police vehicles rushed to the scene, and hospitals in the southern Paris region were put on alert. | Dozens of emergency and police vehicles rushed to the scene, and hospitals in the southern Paris region were put on alert. |
| President François Hollande headed to the scene when the seriousness of the accident became clear. He promised a thorough investigation. | President François Hollande headed to the scene when the seriousness of the accident became clear. He promised a thorough investigation. |
| “A catastrophe has taken place,” he told reporters at the scene, adding that the station would be closed for three days. | “A catastrophe has taken place,” he told reporters at the scene, adding that the station would be closed for three days. |
| Jérôme Guedj, the president of the local council, told reporters that the crash scene had moved him, to see “this train cut in half and the carriages torn to bits, the violence of the crash.” | Jérôme Guedj, the president of the local council, told reporters that the crash scene had moved him, to see “this train cut in half and the carriages torn to bits, the violence of the crash.” |
| The train was traveling on part of the track used by the suburban railway, the RER C, which is used heavily and has needed much recent repair work to try to eliminate commuter delays into Paris. | The train was traveling on part of the track used by the suburban railway, the RER C, which is used heavily and has needed much recent repair work to try to eliminate commuter delays into Paris. |
| The derailment was France’s worst rail accident since a commuter train crashed into a stationary train at the Gare de Lyon terminal in Paris in 1988, killing 56 people. | The derailment was France’s worst rail accident since a commuter train crashed into a stationary train at the Gare de Lyon terminal in Paris in 1988, killing 56 people. |
Maïa de la Baume reported from Brétigny-sur-Orge, and Steven Erlanger from Paris. | Maïa de la Baume reported from Brétigny-sur-Orge, and Steven Erlanger from Paris. |