These acts of vandalism have disrupted travel for 800,000 passengers on the day of the opening ceremony of Paris Olympics (Photo: X)
The much awaited Paris 2024 Olympic Games have gotten off to an ominous start as hours before the official opening ceremony, slated for this evening in Paris, transport network across France has been paralysed, with notably the high-speed network that has been hit by suspected coordinated arson attacks.
In a press statement, the French national railway company SNCF says that a series of ‘malicious acts’, including arson attacks of sufficient magnitude to paralyse its high-speed TGV network, occurred late last night and this morning.
Jean-Pierre Farandou
According to SNCF, these acts of vandalism have disrupted travel for 800,000 passengers on the day of the opening ceremony of Paris Olympics and French officials have described the attacks as “criminal actions” and said they were investigating whether they were linked to the Olympic Games.
SNCF says that areas affecting rail track intersections were intentionally targeted by the arsonists in the overnight attacks to double the impact. “For one fire, two destinations were hit,” says Jean-Pierre Farandou, SNCF CEO.
It was “a premeditated, calculated, coordinated attack” that indicates “a desire to seriously harm” the French people, Farandou adds.
Gabriel Attal
As the world’s attention turned to Paris, officials predict that the disruptions would impact nearly a million people on Friday and last through the weekend, if not longer.
Reports say that travel to and from London beneath the English Channel, to neighbouring Belgium, and across the west, north and east of France was affected by what SNCF called a series of coordinated attacks.
Patrice Vergriete
Caretaker Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on his social media platform X the country’s intelligence services and law enforcement agencies have been mobilised to track down suspects after “acts of sabotage” affecting lines on the SNCF national rail network.
“This is a massive attack on a large scale to paralyse the TGV network,” says SNCF, adding that many journeys will have to be cancelled.
Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete described people fleeing from the scene of fires and the discovery of incendiary devices.
“Everything indicates that these are criminal fires,” he says.
A bomb threat led to evacuation of Basel-Mulhouse airport in eastern France
Meanwhile, a bomb threat led to evacuation of Basel-Mulhouse airport in eastern France that serves three countries, France, Switzerland and Germany. Airport officials say that the airport was ordered evacuated on Friday morning following an anonymous bomb threat.
Olympics under heavy security
The attack occurred against a backdrop of global tensions and heightened security measures as the city prepared for the 2024 Olympic Games. Many travellers are planning to converge on the capital for the opening ceremony, and many vacationers are also in transit.
A trio of fires were reported close to the tracks on the high-speed lines of Atlantique, Nord, and Est, while Paris authorities prepared for an grand parade on and around the Seine river. The disruptions particularly affected Montparnasse station, one of the biggest long-distance stations in Paris, and all its halls were packed with travellers impacted by the disruption.
The Paris police prefecture says it “concentrated its personnel in Parisian train stations” after the “massive attack” that paralysed the TGV high-speed network, officials say.
It will be the first time a Summer Olympics has opened outside the main athletics stadium, a decision fraught with danger at a time when France is on its highest alert for terror attacks.
Many passengers were stranded at the Gare du Nord, one of Europe’s busiest train stations. All eyes were on the central message boards as most services to northern France, Belgium and the United Kingdom were delayed.
Travellers at London’s St Pancras station were advised to anticipate an hour or so for delays on their Eurostar journeys. Announcements in the departure hall at the international terminus informed travellers heading to Paris that there was a problem with overhead power supplies.
SNCF said it did not know when traffic would resume and feared that disruptions would continue “at least all weekend.”
SNCF teams “were already on site to carry out diagnostics and begin repairs,” but the “situation should last at least all weekend while the repairs are carried out,” the operator says.
SNCF advised “all passengers to postpone their journey and not to go to the station,” specifying in that all tickets were exchangeable and refundable.
The troubles comes ahead of an opening ceremony has been planned for later Friday in which 7,000 Olympic athletes are due to sail down the Seine past iconic Parisian monuments such as Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, and the Musee d’Orsay.
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