A series of fires destroyed the French high speed line system friday for the Olympic Games in Paris opening ceremony. Current estimates suggest that around 800,000 travellers are likely to be affected over the weekend, with French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal describing the early morning fires as “acts of sabotage”, the BBC reports.
So far, no injuries or deaths have been reported. No one has come forward to claim responsibility for the fires, but security forces are still searching for the group behind them, along with other law enforcement officials.
Attal posted on Twitter (translated to English using Google Translate):
Early this morning, sabotage actions were carried out in a prepared and coordinated manner on SNCF installations.
The consequences for the rail network are enormous and serious.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to our firefighters who arrived on the scene and to the SNCF agents who will carry out the necessary work to restore the network.
I think of all the French, all the families, who were preparing to go on holiday. I share their anger and I applaud their patience, their understanding and the civic spirit they are showing.
Our intelligence agencies and law enforcement are being mobilized to track down and punish the perpetrators of these criminal acts.
SNCF, France’s state-owned railway company, also called the fires “a massive attack” and said it had to manually repair the damaged cables “one by one.” Deputy Chief Digital Officer Christophe Fanichet said SNCF was working to minimize disruption, but also warned passengers to stay home unless explicitly told that trains were running again.
The attacks appear to have been coordinated, with Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete telling reporters the fires were lit simultaneously and that “vans were found from which people had fled, especially in the southeast.” They hit three major routes connecting Paris to Lille, Bordeaux and Strasbourg, but authorities say they managed to stop a fourth attack on a southern line connecting Paris to Marseille.
Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra called the attacks “absolutely appalling” and said they were still working out how the delays would affect the Games. Paris 2024 said it was also “assessing the situation.”
SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farrandou told French television that the company was mobilizing thousands of rail workers to keep trains running as quickly as possible, adding: “This should have been a day of celebration. It’s the big day to go on summer vacation, and of course it’s also the opening of the Olympic Games with many French people coming to Paris to enjoy the Games, and it’s all ruined.”
