A train struck four people who were on the tracks early Tuesday morning, near St Jean de Luz in southwest France, a spokesperson for the country's national rail company SNCF told DW, reports Deutsche Welle.
Three people were killed in the incident.
A fourth person was first treated on site then was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
- The incident took place at around 5.30 a.m. local time (07:30 UTC)
- The incident took place about half a kilometer (0.3 miles) from St Jean de Luz train station, in the town of Ciboure
- The victims were struck by a regional express train traveling between Hendaye and Bordeaux
- An investigation has been opened
- Train services gradually resumed from 8.15 a.m.
France Bleu, a local publicly-funded broadcaster, reported that two of the victims have been identified as Algerian nationals.
It is believed that those struck were migrants, privately-owned French broadcaster RTL reported, quoting Bayonne public prosecutor Jerome Bourrier who was at the site.
The mayor of the city of Ciboure, Eneko Aldana-Douat specified that the four migrants were "sleeping or lying" on the tracks, Le Parisien newspaper reported.