A heavy fire broke out in a freight train in Valenciennes in northern France, not far from the Belgian border. According to the French railway company SNCF, one person was killed and three others were injured.
Initially there was a passenger accident, after which the top of the train caught fire. The fire turned out to be caused by refugees from Eritrea who had climbed on the train and caused an electric shock.
“One person died, electrocuted on a carriage of the freight train. Three others were injured and taken to a hospital,” the fire service said. An employee of the SNCF was in shock and was also taken to a hospital.
According to the prosecutor of Valenciennes, Jean-Philippe Vicentini, the four victims have Eritrean nationality and could be minors.
Photos showed a huge cloud of smoke over the station and the freight train that was on the platform. The station had to be evacuated as a precaution and train traffic was interrupted for a while.
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