SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

French train hits tree, 13 badly injured

One person is in a critical condition, and 12 others are badly hurt, after a train hit a fallen tree on the tracks in southern France.

1 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

Thirteen people were seriously injured when an intercity train travelling at 140km/r hit a fallen tree on tracks near the southern French city of Montpellier, emergency services say.

"One passenger is in a critical condition and a dozen are badly hurt," said a paramedic spokesman on Wednesday, adding another 50 people were treated for minor injuries at the scene.

The train was travelling 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.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

There were about 200 passengers aboard the train when the accident occurred mid-afternoon.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world