At Least 7 Dead in High-Speed Train Crash in France

The train caught fire during a test run and crashed into a canal
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 14, 2015 2:05 PM CST
At Least 7 Dead in High-Speed Train Crash in France
A rescue worker stands near a high-speed train that derailed on Saturday in France, killing at least seven people.    (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

More than seven people are dead and at least 10 "gravely" injured after a high-speed train derailed and crashed into a canal during a test run Saturday in France, the AP reports. According to the BBC, the train was testing a new rail line between Paris and Strasbourg with 49 people on board when it caught fire and hopped the track near the German border. A teen girl getting horse-riding lesson nearby reportedly witnessed flames coming from the train before it overturned, the Independent reports.

Both the Guardian and BBC say the death toll in the crash is at least 10. And according to the Guardian, more than 30 people were injured—12 of them seriously. Everyone aboard the train at the time of the crash was an employee of the railway operator. Officials blame the crash on "excessive speed," the BBC reports. Though it's unclear why the train was going so fast, according to the Guardian. The AP reports there is no indication the crash had anything to do with the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday. The Strasbourg-to-Paris line is scheduled to open next year, according to the BBC. (More train crash stories.)

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