A French high-speed TGV train travelling from the eastern city of Strasbourg to Paris derailed on Thursday after an embankment collapsed into the tracks, seriously injuring the driver and hurting 20 others.
The driver, whose injury was not specified, was evacuated by helicopter following the accident near Ingenheim, around 30 kilometres (20 miles) northwest of Strasbourg.
The train was still intact but the locomotive was leaning on its side and four other wagons were also off the tracks, according to the state rail operator SNCF and AFP journalists at the scene.
"Despite going off the tracks, the TGV remained upright," the operator said in a Twitter post that included a picture of what it called "a major landslide."
Passenger Alexandre Sergeant told BFM television by telephone: "All of a sudden we felt an impact, and then the train was on the gravel, it kept rolling for a while and then started to lean on its side."
Another passenger, who gave his name as Philippe, told the Top Music local radio station that "It felt like we were in a washing machine."
"Rocks were flying everywhere and the windows all shattered," he said. "We were all in a bit of shock."
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