France’s sports minister said she has not ruled out Russian sabotage after arson attacks caused chaos on the country’s high-speed train network hours before the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics.
Rail services into the French capital were crippled after “malicious” fires at two key rail installations brought trains to a halt. A third attack was thwarted, but Eurostar services between London and Paris were also hit by vandalism and passengers were being advised not to travel.
“A massive attack took place last night to paralyze the high-speed rail network,” SNCF, the French rail network, said in a statement.
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The travel nightmare came as the eyes of the world are on Friday’s 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, with thousands of athletes sailing down the river Seine in front of as many as 300,000 spectators.
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castera told Sky News that the arson attacks were “probably coordinated” but that France had prepared for “all scenarios.”
“It’s probably a large-scale sabotage,” she added. Asked by the Sky correspondent if the arson was carried out by Russia or a terrorist group, she reportedly replied: “Maybe.”
“It could also be protesters—even French people,” she added.
France’s prime minister, Gabriel Attal, said in a post on X that “acts of sabotage were carried out in a prepared and coordinated manner on SNCF installations. The consequences on the rail network are massive and serious.
“Our intelligence services and law enforcement are mobilized to find and punish the perpetrators of these criminal acts,” he added.
SNCF Chief Executive Jean-Pierre Farrandou said upwards of 800,000 travelers have been caught up in the disruption.
French rail officials said the attacks happened near Arras, about 100 miles north of Paris on the line from the capital to Lille at about 4 a.m. local time. A second fire was sparked at Courtalain, about 90 miles southwest of Paris. The third, foiled, arson attack was on the line linking Paris to southwest France.
