(CNN) — At least seven people were killed and tens of others were injured Friday when a train derailed in Bretigny-sur-Orge, French Interior Minister Manuel Valls told reporters Friday.
Bretigny-sur-Orge is just south of Paris. President Francois Hollande arrived on the scene Friday evening.
It was still unknown what caused the derailment of the regional train that left the Paris Austerlitz station Friday afternoon, said Guillaume Pepy, president of SNCF, the French national railway company.
The train was passing through the Bretigny-sur-Orge station; it did not have a scheduled stop there, he said.
It was bound for the city of Limoges, Valls said.
Hollande, who said he’s traveled on the route before, announced that three investigations will be conducted about the incident — a judiciary inquiry, an internal inquiry within SNCF and an inquiry that will be handled by the country’s transport ministry.
Passengers were still being rescued around 7 p.m., Pepy added, and firefighters were on the scene and assisting victims. About 370 people were aboard the train, he said.
Experts have begun an investigation at the scene.
“The first thought we all have is one of solidarity toward the victims and their families, and we feel a strong emotion because rail accidents are upsetting to the whole public,” Pepy said, becoming emotional as he spoke.
Earlier Friday, French police said that at least eight people had been killed, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.
SNCF characterized what happened Friday as an accident and said rail traffic was interrupted.
A photo that aired on BFMTV showed part of the train lying on the station’s platform.
