{"id":1849,"date":"2014-02-10T17:10:09","date_gmt":"2014-02-10T16:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/risk\/?p=1849"},"modified":"2023-12-06T11:04:47","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T10:04:47","slug":"rock-strucks-a-train-in-french-alps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.unil.ch\/risk\/rock-strucks-a-train-in-french-alps\/","title":{"rendered":"Rock strucks a train in french Alps"},"content":{"rendered":"

A 10 to 20 tons rock block, of the size of a car, \u00a0struck a train in the French Alps on February 8th 2014 (Nice-Matin<\/a>, Haute-Provence info<\/a>). Two persons were killed, one person was seriously injured and seven other persons were slightly injured, including the driver (La Provence<\/a>). Thirty-four passangers were in the train (TF1<\/a>). About hundred twenty firefighters, with 32 vehicles and 3 helicopters,\u00a0were involved in the\u00a0<\/span>rescue operations (Nice-Matin<\/a>).
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The train had left Nice at 9:25 AM in direction of \u00a0Digne-les-Bains (Nice-Matin<\/a>). The accident occured at\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>11:10 AM near the village of Annot (Nice-Matin<\/a>), at an altitude of 610 m (Google Earth). The train speed was 30 km\/h at the impact time (France3<\/a>). The block came from a cliff 200 m above the track (Metronews<\/a>) and it destroyed two rockfall protection nets on its way (La Provence<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Weather conditions seem to have contributed to this event: snow and rain have alterned for about ten days, and freeze-thaw cycling may also have contributed to the rock failure. The track was inspected less than one month before (TF1<\/a>).\u00a0Presently the cliff stability is investigated and the protection nets have to be emptied before to start to remove the train (railways clearance will follow afterward)(TF1<\/a>). The road\u00a0parallel<\/span>\u00a0to<\/span>\u00a0the track is presently closed because of the important rockfall risk (Bison fut\u00e9<\/a>)\u00a0and a safety perimeter has been etablished\u00a0until the results of the geologist expertise are given (La Provence<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Train<\/a>\u00a0Source: DailyMotion<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Rock<\/a>\u00a0Source: Twitter\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Accident<\/a>\u00a0Source: G\u00e9oportail IGN\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n