Authorities in the northern French town of Bully-les-Mines say the driver of a high-speed TGV train was killed early Tuesday morning after a collision with a loaded semi at a level crossing.
Emergency services and technical crews were rapidly dispatched to the scene. The truck was reportedly carrying military equipment and its driver has been taken into custody.
Officials said the train was en route from Dunkirk to Paris and the crash occurred at about 7:00 a.m. (0500 GMT). Local emergency services reported two passengers were seriously injured and 11 others sustained minor injuries.
Police have detained the driver of the semi tractor-trailer that caused the crash. Image: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP
This is the second deadly level-crossing collision in days. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said he would travel to the scene and be joined by SNCF national rail boss Jean Castex. SNCF officials said it was too early to determine exactly what happened and that rail service on the line had been suspended until later in the day.
On March 25, a truck driver was killed after colliding with a train at a level crossing in Saint-Raphaël in southeastern France. TGV trains have a long safety record since the first models were introduced in 1981. Officials said the train was traveling at its normal speed at the time of Tuesday’s collision.
Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher