A series of fires crippled France’s high-speed rail system Friday ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. Current estimates suggest as many as 800,000 travelers will likely be affected over the course of 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 stepped forward to claim responsibility for the fires, but security forces are still searching for the group behind them, along with other law enforcement.
Attal posted on Twitter (translated into English with the help of Google Translate):
Early this morning, acts of sabotage were, in a prepared and coordinated manner, carried out on SNCF installations.
The consequences on the rail network are massive and serious.
I express my sincere gratitude to our firefighters who intervened on the affected sites and to the SNCF agents who will carry out the necessary work to restore the network.
I think of all the French people, all the families, who were preparing to go on vacation. I share their anger and salute their patience, their understanding and the civic-mindedness they demonstrate.
Our intelligence services and law enforcement are mobilized to find and punish the perpetrators of these criminal acts.
SNCF, the French state-owned rail company, also called the fires “a massive attack” and said it has to manually fix the damaged cables “one by one.” Deputy Chief Digital Officer Christophe Fanichet said SNCF is working to minimize the disruption but also warned passengers to stay home unless they’re explicitly told the trains are running again.
The attacks appear to have been coordinated, with Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete telling reporters the fires were started simultaneously, and “vans were found from which people had fled, particularly in the south-east.” They hit three major routes that connect Paris to Lille, Bordeaux and Strasbourg, however, authorities say they were able to stop a fourth attack on a southbound line that connects Paris to Marseille.
Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra called the attacks “downright appalling” and said they were still figuring out how the delays would affect the games. Paris 2024 has said it is also “assessing the situation.”
SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farrandou told French television the company was mobilizing thousands of rail workers to get the trains up and running as fast as possible, adding, “This was supposed to be a holiday. It’s the big day for going on summer holiday, and it’s also of course the opening of the Olympics with lots of French people coming to Paris to enjoy the Games, and all of that’s ruined.”