French train driver killed in army pontoon truck crash

The train driver died when a French high-speed train collided with a truck carrying military equipment at a level crossing near Calais, the local prefecture and railway operators said.

The governorship said that 16 people were injured and two of them were in critical condition.

It was stated that there were more than 200 passengers on the train at the time of the accident and the truck was carrying a military pontoon.

Rail operator SNCF said in a separate statement that the train was traveling from Dunkirk to Paris when the incident occurred at around 7am near the town of Bully-les-Mines.

Local prosecutor Etienne Thieffry said police opened an investigation into possible manslaughter and detained the civilian truck driver for questioning.

SNCF said traffic on the line was interrupted and the line would remain closed until further notice, the governor’s office said.