Bid to identify bodies after French train fire

French authorities were today trying to identify 12 people killed when a train caught fire during an overnight journey, leaving at least nine others injured.

The overnight train from Paris was heading for Austria when it caught fire as it was leaving the city of Nancy in eastern France.

Six men, five women and one child were killed in the blaze, believed to have been caused by an electrical problem.

Five Americans were among the dead, while Germany’s Foreign Ministry said four victims appeared to be German.

The victims died of smoke inhalation as they slept, but the train was stopped and the fire put out before it spread beyond the first two carriages.

Unofficial reports blamed the outbreak on a short circuit in the train’s heating system, but a full-scale inquiry was only just beginning as French transport minister Gilles de Roblen went to the scene.

British, German, American and French passengers were among those injured.

Mr Hearn and Ms Mercier and the others were said to be “stable” in Nancy’s University hospital.

The police spokesman said: “The injuries sustained involved minor wounds and smoke inhalation but they are recovering and are not in danger.”

A British Embassy official said two of the three injured Britons were expected to be discharged from hospital later today.

A train conductor alerted authorities about the blaze when he saw smoke pouring from a carriage as the train passed the station in Nancy at about 2.15am (3.15am Irish time).

Firefighters found the dead inside carriage number 119, which belonged to Germany’s national railway, Deutsche Bahn.

Police investigators were on the scene and a team of psychologists was sent in to help survivors.

The train had been heading from Paris to Vienna via Strasbourg, near the border with Germany.