UPDATES WITH REMARKS BY SPORTS MINISTER, TRANSPORT MINISTER; REVISES DECK
By Nur Asena Erturk
The French railway company SNCF said on Friday that it was vandalized overnight ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
"The SNCF was victim overnight of several simultaneous malicious acts on LGV Atlantique, North & East," the company said on X.
"Deliberate fires were started to damage our facilities," it added.
The company noted that its high-speed line LGV Southeast was not impacted, and an act was prevented.
SNCF teams are on the field to start reparations, it also said.
The high-speed traffic is severely disrupted on some routes, the company added, and called on the passengers to postpone their travels.
Eurostar services were also disrupted, according to the French broadcaster BFMTV.
Rail location cabinets were damaged and cables were put on fire and cut on some northern and eastern lines according to sources, BFMTV explained.
Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera in an interview with BFMTV said the traffic would be "disrupted today and probably also the weekend."
"At this point in the analysis, I understand that it is probably one or some malicious acts, some coordinated sabotage," Oudea-Castera said and stressed that she keeps her prudence when saying it as things are being analyzed now.
The minister condemned the "deplorable" acts, and added: "Playing against the Games is playing against France."
Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete on X condemned the "coordinated malicious acts" that would impact the holiday travels of many French.
He thanked the SNCF teams who work to eliminate the disruptions.
Paris 2024 Olympic Games will officially start with Friday's opening ceremony on the River Seine.
The football, archery, and rugby events began earlier this week before the ceremony.