BULLY-LES-MINES, France — A locomotive engineer lost his life Tuesday when a high-speed passenger train collided with a truck transporting military equipment at a railroad crossing in northern France, according to local officials.
Sixteen passengers sustained injuries in the crash, with two in serious condition, authorities reported. The truck operator has been taken into custody as investigators launch an aggravated manslaughter probe, though Prosecutor Etienne Thieffry told media it remains too soon to pinpoint what caused the deadly collision.
Jean Castex, who leads France’s national railway system SNCF, confirmed that the crossing’s safety gates were operating properly at the time of impact.
Emergency responders descended on the crash site in Bully-les-Mines, located along the rail line connecting Dunkirk to Paris, regional officials stated. More than 200 train passengers were safely evacuated from the scene following the accident.
An Associated Press reporter observed extensive damage to both vehicles, with the locomotive’s front end severely crushed and the truck also heavily damaged. The train cars stayed upright on the rails, though railway operations were suspended while emergency crews conducted their response operations.
