'MASSIVE ARSON ATTACK' BRINGS CHAOS TO PARIS RAIL NETWORK

A 'massive arson attack' on France' s rail network brought chaos to the start of the Paris Olympics today.

With just hours to go before the opening ceremony on the River Seine on Friday, fires were started at key installations, bringing trains to a halt.

This caused the cancellation of multiple services, including ones meant to be bringing sports fans into the French capital.

There have been a series of 'coordinated malicious acts' said Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete, pointing to series of fires.

They were focused on the TGV high speed train network which covers the whole of France, and which is particularly busy at this time of year.

Beyond the Olympics, Mr Vergriete said the 'criminal actions will compromise

the holiday departures of many French people.'

The first blaze was detected early on Friday morning near tracks at Courtalain, in the Eure-et-Loir department.

It caused the interruption of traffic on the hugely busy Atlantique high-speed line.

SNCF – France's rail operator – also referred to a 'malicious act' on the high-speed line between Lille and Paris, in the northern Arras sector.

TGV Inoui and Ouigo trains were diverted to conventional lines, causing canellations and far longer journey times.

Crowds built up at major Paris stations such as Montparnasse, where trains to and from nearby towns such as Tours and Le Mans all cancelled.

A spokesman for SNCF said it was the victim of 'a massive arson attack to paralyze the TGV network'.

He said the disruption should 'last at least the whole weekend', and would have a knock-on effect across the network.

Criminal investigations will be opened into the attacks, but there was no initial theory as to who was behind them.

Olympic organisers have long feared acts of sabotage tagetting the multi-billion pounds games, and a vast security operation costing £350million has unfolded in Paris to try and counter threats.

The largest peacetime deployment of forces in France's history involves some 75,000 soldiers, police and private security agents.

'We're focused and we're ready,' said General Lionel Catar, one of the military planners before the showpiece opening.

The priority is to protect some 80,000 competitors as they progress down the River Seine in dozens of barges, in front of some 350,000 spectators, and a TV audience of more than a billion.

Gérald Darmanin, France's Interior Ministry, said 'the terrorist threat remains high' and that 'a high level of vigilance' remains essential.

2024-07-26T07:40:05Z dg43tfdfdgfd