The fires, which were set in pipes carrying cables, caused train disruptions throughout Paris that are expected to last into the weekend.
A detailed view of raindrops on an umbrella in front of the Eiffel Tower prior to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, July 26, 2024, in Paris.
Key Takeaways:
- Coordinated fires on France’s high-speed rail network caused travel disruptions ahead of the opening ceremony.
- No injuries have been reported.
- The opening ceremony is expected to go on as scheduled Friday.
The Paris Olympics opening ceremony will go on Friday despite a coordinated series of arson attacks on a high-speed rail network that caused travel disruptions that could last for days.
No injuries have been reported in the fires, which were all detected around 4 a.m. local time, according to Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete.
“Everything indicates that these are criminal fires,” Vergriete said.
The fires, which were set in pipes carrying cables, caused train disruptions throughout Paris that are expected to last into the weekend.
France’s national rail company, SNCF, said in a statement that repairs “are continuing, but traffic will remain disrupted this weekend.”
SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou said that railway maintenance workers thwarted a possible sabotage attempt along tracks on the South-East line after spotting intruders and alerting authorities.
“These people left, of course, very quickly when they realized they were spotted. So, thank you to the railway workers,” Farandou said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t do it everywhere.”
French authorities have not identified who is responsible for the attacks. France’s prime minister, Gabriel Attal, called them “acts of sabotage.”
Aside from the arson attacks, Gérald Darmanin, France’s interior minister, said that “things were perfectly positive” in Paris. Authorities had not identified “any particular problem” leading up to the opening ceremony.
Friday’s opening ceremony will be the first time the event is held outside of a stadium. The event, which will involve more than 90 boats, will take place on the Seine River. Opening ceremony flag bearers for the U.S. will be tennis player Coco Gauff and basketball player LeBron James, who were selected by their fellow Team USA athletes.
It’s still unclear who will light the Olympic cauldron. The Paris Games chief organizer said he would alert the chosen person on Friday.
“I really waited until today. I plan to tell the last carrier [of the Olympic torch] today, to try to maintain this confidentiality,” Tony Estanguet said.
Competition began ahead of the opening ceremony for archery, soccer, handball, and rugby.
The games come amid high global tensions with ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. Security for the opening ceremony is expected to be tightened after the arson attacks.
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