Ten dead in high-speed train crash in France

Ten people have been killed in Strasbourg after a high-speed train derailed during a test run on Saturday.

The crash happened on the new Paris-Strasbourg line and 49 railway technicians were on board when it caught fire and plunged into a canal. There were no passengers.

According to The Local, the TGV train was travelling at 217 mph.

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There were 37 people injured after the train ended up in the 40-metre wide canal. Twelve people are in a critical condition.

French Environment and Sustainable Development Minister Segolene Royal said five other people are missing.

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France 24 reports that Dominique-Nicolas Jane, a senior official in the Alsace region, said the accident happened "because of excessive speed".

It is the first fatal accident since the TGV went into service in 1981.