Authorities in France are investigating why several children were on board a TGV train which crashed during a test run.

The train was carrying 49 railway technicians when it derailed, caught fire, and plunged into a canal.

Excessive speed has been blamed by investigators for the crash, which was the first fatal accident since TGV trains began operating in 1981.

Eleven people were killed during the accident, while eleven people also suffered serious injuries.

Investigators are questioning why several children were on board when a high-speed train derailed during a test run.

Five people are still missing and more than 30 were injured in the TGV crash near the eastern city of Strasbourg.

It has not been confirmed whether children were among those killed.