Investigators rule out attack in French train derailment

Investigators have ruled out an attack as the cause of a train derailment in north-western France that left more than 40 people injured.

Further questioning on Sunday is expected to focus on how a section of rail came to be on the tracks, according to reports.

Of the 44 people injured, most had already been discharged from hospital by Saturday, with an 18-year-old woman seriously injured but improving.

Rouen public prosecutor Sébastien Gallois said on Saturday evening that there was so far "no indication of a malicious act carried out with the deliberate intention of derailing the train, and certainly not of an attack," according to several French media reports.

Further questioning on Sunday is expected to focus on how a section of rail came to be on the tracks, the reports said. Several French politicians had previously suggested the incident could have been an attack or another criminal act.

The regional train, carrying around 180 passengers, struck an object on Friday evening while travelling between Rouen and Caen. Five carriages derailed and one overturned.

Initial reports said investigators were looking into the possibility of a deliberate act after a section of rail was found on the tracks.

Of the 44 people injured, most had already been discharged from hospital by Saturday, according to media reports.

An 18-year-old woman was seriously injured, although her condition has since improved, the reports said.

Emergency services deployed in large numbers to the scene, with more than 130 firefighters, 50 police officers and 80 vehicles involved in the response.