Okwudiri Straightman Nwali

French TGV high-speed train derails near Strasbourg

• 41 minutes ago
• From  Europe

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption The locomotive plunged into a canal alongside the track after derailing

A high-speed TGV train has derailed near the eastern French city of Strasbourg, killing at least 10 people, officials say.

The crash happened during a test run in the town of Eckwersheim, on a new Paris-Strasbourg line.
The train was carrying 49 people when it derailed, caught fire, and plunged into a canal. The injured were airlifted to hospital.
The derailment was due to "excessive speed", officials say.
Pictures showed the locomotive partly submerged. Wreckage was also scattered in a field beside the track.

Reports say the Paris-Strasbourg high-speed line is scheduled to open next year.
Junior transport minister Alain Vidalies and Ecology Minister Segolene Royal will visit the scene, French media reported.