At least 20 injured after train carrying 180 passengers derails in France sparking ‘significant’ travel chaos

A TRAIN packed with 180 passengers has derailed in Normandy, injuring at least 20 people including a teenage woman in a critical condition. One carriage overturned and four others derailed as the train came off the rails when heading towards Caen, triggering a “mass casualty” emergency response. A helicopter was deployed to assess the damage after the train derailment Credit: X The train was heading to Caen from Rouen when it came off the rails (stock) Credit: Getty It derailed near the town of Cléon, in the North West of France, at 7.45pm. Around 140 firefighters and a helicopter rushed to the scene of the crash. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said: “At this time, the provisional report indicates about 20 injured.” Local government officials warned residents to avoid the crash site near the towns of Cléon and Tourville-la-Rivière. The cause of the derailment is not yet known. Footage posted to social media showed helicopters hovering above the scene. French train company SNCF reported huge disruptions to the service between the towns of Rouen and Caen and between Caen and Le Havre. The line’s power supply has been cut to allow emergency responders to work at the scene. Most read in The Sun Police and SNCF have launched a probe into the accident. It comes after at least one person was killed and 20 passengers were injured when a train smashed into a delivery truck at a level crossing and flew off the tracks in Poland yesterday. Shocking images showed the stricken train lying on its side as emergency workers scrambled to tend to the wounded. Preliminary information suggested the horror crash happened after the truck driver was reportedly blinded by the sun. Among the injured were the drivers of the truck and the train, with the former getting trapped in his vehicle until firefighters managed to free him. Four people were left seriously injured in the accident, which happened as the train travelled from the eastern city of Lublin to the northern port of Szczecin. The collision occurred near the town of Przysucha, around 60 miles southeast of Warsaw at about 11.20am. A fire service spokesman said: “The locomotive is on its side on the opposite track and some of the wagons are also on their side.” Comment now