“It’s one more tragedy for migrants”, reacts the mayor of the city

“It’s one more drama for migrants”reacted on Friday March 25 on franceinfo Laurent Degallaix, the mayor of Valenciennes (North), after the death of an Eritrean migrant, electrocuted while trying to get on a freight wagon. “This train stopped in Valenciennes before leaving for Calais, migrants climbed onto this covered wagon and an electric arc formed”relates the chosen one.

“One migrant was killed instantly, the three others thrown to the ground and injured”, says Laurent Degallaix. An SNCF employee and two firefighters were also slightly injured. The accident caused “a gigantic fire since this train contained tires”explains the mayor of Valenciennes. “But the rapid and effective intervention of the firefighters made it possible to avoid the human drama an ecological drama.”

“An investigation is underway”, says Laurent Degallaix. According to information available to the mayor, migrants “took advantage of a moment of inattention to slip onto the track and immediately climb onto the wagon. It’s a bit of bad luck’s fault, but the migrant’s body made a conducting wire and with the electric arc , he was killed immediately.”

“It is not the first time” that a migrant dies in the Nord department while trying to reach Calais, but “It’s the first time it’s happened in Valenciennes”assures Laurent Degallaix.

“Once again, we see that these migrants try by all means and, alas, often at the risk of their lives, to touch the Grail which is to go to Calais and then to cross to reach the United Kingdom, whatever be the conditions.”

Laurent Degallaix, Mayor of Valenciennes

at franceinfo

The mayor of Valenciennes specifies that the platforms of the station “are damaged” and “nearby TER trains have been affected”. “All of this is very little compared to the human toll, but this damage inevitably causes slowdowns at the Valenciennes station, which risks being closed at least until tomorrow evening”says Laurent Degallaix.