FRANCE’S high-speed rail network was hit by vandalism including arson on Friday, paralyzing travel to Paris from across France and Europe for hours before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
French officials condemned the attack as a criminal act, although they said there was no direct link to the Olympics. Prosecutors in Paris opened a national investigation, saying the crime could carry a sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison.
“This is a terrible way to start the Olympics,” said Sarah Moseley, a 42-year-old tourist waiting at the station. North Station in Paris when he learned that his train to London was delayed due to chaos on the railway line.
As Paris authorities prepared for a spectacular parade along the River Seine, three fires were reported near the tracks on the Atlantique, Nord and Est high-speed train lines, causing disruption affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers.
Two Horse Jumpers Trapped
Among them were two German athletes in the show jumping event who were on their way to Paris for the opening ceremony. They had to turn around in Belgium because of the lockdown, and will now miss the ceremony.
“There was no more chance to arrive on time,” said rider Philipp Weishaupt, who was travelling with teammate Christian Kukuk.
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No victims
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said French intelligence services had been deployed to find the perpetrators of the sabotage.
Attal said the sabotage and arson attacks that hit key parts of France’s high-speed rail network on the eve of the Olympics had the clear aim of blocking the high-speed rail network.
He said the vandals strategically targeted routes from the north, east and west into Paris hours before the capital hosted the Olympic opening ceremony.
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“This was a premeditated, calculated and coordinated attack that demonstrated a desire to seriously harm the French people,” said railway CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou.
“These locations were specifically chosen to have the most serious impact, because each fire cuts off two lines,” Farandou said.
The attack comes amid a backdrop of global tensions and heightened security measures as the city prepares for the 2024 Olympics. Many tourists were planning to gather in the capital for the opening ceremony, and many tourists were also on their way.
French authorities have foiled several plots to disrupt the Olympics, including the arrest of a Russian man suspected of plotting to destabilize the event. (Yahoo News/Z-10)
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