On a Friday evening in Normandy, a train carrying nearly 180 people left the rails between Rouen and Caen, injuring 44 and sending one young woman to hospital in critical condition. In the hours that followed, the event became briefly entangled in political speculation about sabotage — a reminder of how quickly fear can outpace evidence. By Saturday evening, the public prosecutor had drawn a clear line: this was an accident, not an attack, and the harder, quieter work of understanding why now begins.
French authorities rule out attack in Normandy train derailment
44 people injured in the derailment; one young woman in critical condition was airlifted to hospital but her condition improved.