What is known about the attack on the Paris train network before the opening of the Olympics | Paris 2024

Attal described the impact on the rail network as “huge and serious”, thanked firefighters and expressed anger at the disruption.

He added that the security forces are searching for those responsible for the sabotage.

The SNCF public railway company said the attack was a “large-scale attack aimed at paralysing the network”.

The company estimates that 250,000 passengers may be affected on Friday and the number could rise to 800,000 throughout the weekend.

SNCF said in a statement that the fires were deliberately set on the Atlantica, Norte and Leste high-speed lines to damage its facilities. (See damaged lines on the map below)

SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou expressed concern for French people who would not be able to travel as planned and expressed his regret for the situation.

He said the repairs would take “all weekend”, highlighting the importance of railways to public transport.

The fires hit “wires with multiple fiber optic cables” that transmit “safety information to train drivers,” Farando explained.

Repair these cables Manual processIt will require hundreds of workers.

“There are a lot of cables bundled together. We need to fix them one by one,” he said.

But Farandou reassured the French, saying that Thousands of people are mobilized. To repair the network, guide passengers through stations and assist with movement when possible.

Paris 2024, the Olympic Games organiser, said it was “evaluating the situation” and working with SNCF to resolve the issue.

IOC President Thomas Bach expressed “full confidence” in the French authorities and downplayed concerns in a statement to the press in the Olympic Village.

Transport Minister Patrice Vergriet condemned the criminal acts and thanked SNCF staff for their efforts to restore services “as quickly as possible”.

“Coordinated malicious acts hit several TGV lines last night and will cause serious damage to traffic until the end of this week. I strongly condemn these criminal acts that will threaten the departure of many French people for the holidays,” he wrote on social media.

Later, Vergret confirmed, in an interview with the French channel TF1, that the authorities had discovered several incendiary devices, but he did not reveal who might be behind the attacks on the railway network.

According to him, Security forces are on high alert.

Meanwhile, BFMTV reported that an incendiary device was found in Marseille in May on an LGV line when the Olympic torch was in the city, according to a police source.

French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said she was “horrified” by the attacks.

She said that although she expected such incidents, they were “very bad news” and generated “a mixture of anger and frustration.”

“I have to say I'm really terrified of what's happening,” she said.

“People who do this kind of thing are actually playing against France.”

Several TGV lines were affected, and passengers were advised to postpone their journeys and avoid stations.

Eurostar, the train operator that connects the UK to France via the Eurotunnel, has also been affected, with several trains cancelled.

Security has been stepped up across the city, with army and police present at major Paris train stations, such as Gare du Nord.

Who could be behind the attacks?

According to BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner. French authorities should focus their investigations on “known activists and extremists, as well as exploring possible links with the Kremlin.”

Gardner points out that given that the attack on the high-speed rail network was classified as an act of sabotage rather than terrorism, with no fatalities, it is unlikely that ISIS (also known as the Islamic State) and al-Qaeda are “among the prime suspects.”

He stressed that the decision of the Paris prosecutor's office to impose severe sanctions on those responsible was primarily intended to serve as a warning “to discourage possible new acts of sabotage.”

France faces “several challenges” with individuals deeply dissatisfied with government policies, Gardner adds, covering topics such as Ukraine, West Africa and the hijab.

He also remembers that, In the past ten years, the country has suffered several major attacks. In Paris, Nice and elsewhere, All of them are linked to the Islamic State.In addition to smaller, isolated attacks carried out by jihadists.

Hours before the opening ceremony

The incident comes hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, where thousands of athletes will parade through the heart of the city on boats.

A small fleet will carry more than 10,000 athletes along the Seine, passing the city's main tourist attractions, in front of 300,000 spectators and an audience of VIPs and celebrities.

The four-hour ceremony, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. (local time) or 2:30 p.m. (Brasilia time), will be the first time a Summer Olympics has opened outside the main athletics stadium.

Although many details are still under wraps, there are rumors that Celine Dion, Lady Gaga and Aya Nakamura may perform at the ceremony.

Organizers hope the show will go off without a hitch, with a massive security plan including 45,000 agents, 10,000 soldiers and 22,000 private security guards.