French Olympics hit with ‘large scale sabotage’ as high speed rail routes on fire
The French Olympics has been hit with “large scale sabotage” as France’s high speed train network has been attacked by arsonists causing major travel disruption.
The state-owned railway operator SNCF said arsonists targeted installations on train lines that connects Paris with other cities, such as Strasbourg and Bordeaux.
French “intelligence services and law enforcement agencies” are now “mobilised” the Prime Minister Gabriel Attal confirmed.
Attal said the officer have been told to “find and punish the perpetrators of these criminal acts.”
Speaking to Sky News the French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said, “It’s probably a large-scale sabotage,” the “malicious acts” were most likely “coordinated.”
She added, “I’m angry and stressed. We are not going to let ourselves be destabilised by this.”
She continued, “At the moment, we don’t know. It could be French people. What’s clear is that they are playing against the athletes.”
She was asked if the attacks were part of Russian sabotage or even a terrorist attack, she said, “maybe.”
She then added, this “could also be protesters, even French people.”
SNCF said in a statement, “Last night, the SNCF was victim of several acts of vandalism on the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern high-speed lines.
“Fires were deliberately set to damage our installations.”
Eurostar said in a statement, “Due to coordinated acts of malice in France, affecting the high speed line between Paris and Lille, all high speed trains going to and coming from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today Friday 26 July.
“This extends the journey time by around an hour and a half.
“Several trains have been cancelled.”
