France News / Attack on France's railway network before Olympics, 2.5 lakh people affected

France News: The train network was attacked at 5:15 am on Friday, about 10 hours before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in France. Many railway lines were vandalized and wires were burnt. Information about who attacked the railway lines and why has not been revealed yet. According to France's National Railway Company SNCF, many trains to and from Paris have been canceled within half an hour of the attack. Many trains are running late by 90 minutes. About 2.5 lakh passengers have been affected today due to the attack. While about 8 lakh people may be affected by this whole week (28 July).

At the same time, PM Gabriel Attal has called the attack a conspiracy to disrupt the Olympics. The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is at 11 pm in Paris. It will be organized from 26 July to 11 August. 10 thousand 500 players from 206 countries are participating in this great sports event. 117 players from India have gone to France.

Paris administration is investigating the attack on the train network

Paris administration is investigating the attack on the train network. France's crime prevention agency JUNALCO said that criminals could face a fine of up to 3 lakh euros (3 crore 27 lakh rupees) along with a sentence of up to 20 years for damaging SNCF sites.

Thousands of people were stranded

After the attack and vandalism, SNCF urged all passengers to postpone their journey. Repair work was going on to repair the damaged items. But traffic will remain severely disrupted at least until the end of the weekend. Trains are being sent back to their departure point. No one has immediately taken responsibility for this incident. There is no indication whether this attack was politically motivated or not. At the same time, French Transport Minister Patrice Vergit told reporters at Gare du Nord, "Everything leads us to believe that these were criminal acts." Explosives were used in the attack

Explosives have also been used extensively in the attack on France's rail network. SNCF said the attacks targeted signalling installations on the Atlantic, northern and eastern high-speed lines by setting fires using explosive devices. SNCF chief Jean-Pierre Farandeau said about 800,000 passengers were affected ahead of the busy French holiday weekend. Thousands of rail workers have been deployed for repairs. But coordinated attacks on the rail network will create a sense of apprehension ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony in the centre of Paris on Friday.

Destabilising France

"This attack is no coincidence, it is an attempt to destabilise France," Valerie Pecresse, president of the Paris region, told reporters. France is running an unprecedented peacetime security operation to secure the event, with more than 45,000 police, 10,000 soldiers and 2,000 private security agents deployed. Apart from this, snipers will also monitor the rooftops with drones and from the air.

The capital has been closed for the opening ceremony. Security is light elsewhere in the country.

Paris Olympics opening ceremony on the Seine River

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics in France is going to be held in a unique way. The entire opening ceremony program is to be held on the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River. 10500 athletes will participate in the event. Apart from this, thousands of spectators and guests are to attend this event. Since the beginning of the Olympic Games in 1896, the opening ceremony program was held in the stadium. This is the first time that this program will be held outside the stadium. But it remains to be seen whether this attack on France's rail network will have any effect on the opening ceremony or not.