PARIS, April 7 (Reuters) - A French high-speed train crashed on Tuesday morning into a military truck at a level crossing in the north of the country near Calais, with the train driver feared to have
French train collides with truck carrying military pontoon, train driver killed
Details of the Calais Train Collision Incident
Accident Overview
PARIS, April 7 (Reuters) - A French high-speed train collided with a truck carrying military equipment at a level crossing near Calais on Tuesday, killing the train driver, the local prefecture and railway operators said.
Casualties and Injuries
Injured Passengers
Sixteen people were injured and two of them were in critical condition, the prefecture said. More than 200 passengers were on the train at the time of the crash and the truck was carrying a military pontoon, it said.
Timeline and Location
Route and Time of Accident
The train was travelling from Dunkirk to Paris when the incident occurred at around 7 a.m. near the town of Bully-les-Mines, railway operator SNCF said in a separate statement.
Investigation and Legal Actions
Police Investigation
Local prosecutor Etienne Thieffry said the police had started an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter and were holding the civilian truck driver in custody for questioning.
Railway Disruptions
Service Interruptions
SNCF said traffic had been interrupted on the line and the prefecture said it would remain closed until further notice.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro and Sophie Louet; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Tomasz Janowski and Alison Williams)
