A passenger train derailed in northern France on Friday evening, injuring 44 people, including one critically, local authorities confirmed.

The train was carrying 186 passengers and was travelling between the Normandy cities of Rouen and Caen when it derailed near Cléon, just south of Rouen, at around 7:45 pm local time (17:45 GMT).

An 18-year-old woman was airlifted by helicopter to Rouen University Hospital in critical condition, according to the prefecture of Seine-Maritime.

Local authorities activated a mass-casualty response plan following the incident. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said 140 firefighters and other emergency teams were deployed to the scene, while a separate account cited 130 firefighters, five medical teams, and 80 vehicles.

Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois confirmed the injury toll and said tests for drugs and alcohol on the train driver had returned negative. Rail authorities and police are investigating the cause of the derailment.

Reports in French media suggested the crash could have been an act of sabotage, though authorities have not commented on that possibility.

Photographs showed passengers leaving the train, three of whose carriages had overturned, according to reports.

One passenger, Louis, described the moment of the derailment to local radio ICI Normandie: "Suddenly there were a few jolts, and then after about three seconds it got stronger and stronger."

"I couldn't stay in my seat any more. The windows partially shattered, the stones from the track came into the carriage. It was really shocking. I'm still shaking," he added.

SNCF Reseau, which manages France's rail network, said traffic on the line had been suspended and power to the tracks cut to allow emergency services to operate. "The priority is to care for the passengers and then to restore safe operating conditions," the company said.