Paris, 26 July 2024 (dpa/MIA) - France's high-speed rail network has been severely affected after it was targeted by several arson attacks hours before the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games in Paris, rail operator SNCF said on Friday.

"SNCF was the victim of several simultaneous acts of malicious damage affecting the Atlantic, Northern and Eastern high-speed lines," the firm said.

The route to the Stade de France, one of the venues for the Olympic Games, is also currently closed.

Repairs are under way, SNCF said. However, it added that the restrictions could last the whole weekend.

As many as 800,000 people have been affected by train cancellations as a result of the attacks, SNCF said.

Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete announced that every second train to the east and north and every fourth high-speed train in the direction of Bordeaux is affected.

Vergriete said that the "coordinated malicious actions" had caused considerable disruption to traffic.

"This will disrupt this day and probably also this weekend," Sport Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castera told broadcaster BFMTV.

Speaking "with caution and after initial analyses," she said it appeared to be a kind of "coordinated sabotage."

France is currently governed by a caretaker government following elections a month ago, so both ministers are in an acting role. President Emmanuel Macron has said he will keep the government in office for the duration of the Olympics.

Security measures are being intensified, Paris Police Prefect Laurent Nuñez said on the website of broadcaster FranceInfo, with his force "concentrating its personnel on the Paris stations."

Several Eurostar trains to Paris have been cancelled and others diverted due to the arson attacks.

The rail operator, which runs international services from London St Pancras, confirmed on Friday its trains would be delayed because of the ongoing issues in France, the PA news agency reported.

Some related delays were also felt in Germany with minor disruption to the line between Paris and Stuttgart.

The Olympics in Paris officially begins with a unique show in the middle of the Seine on Friday evening. For the first time in Summer Games history, the opening ceremony won't be held in a stadium.

Instead, the more than 200 national delegations will sail across the Seine through the centre of Paris and past sights such as Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay.

A large number of spectators are expected in Paris for the grand ceremony along the Seine. The organizers anticipate around 300,000 people on the banks of the Seine.

About 120 country leaders, along with representatives, are expected for the opening ceremony, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. US First Lady Jill Biden is also expected to be attending the ceremony.

The unique event is being monitored by around 45,000 security personnel. The airspace within a 150-kilometre radius of Paris is to be closed for the evening. The areas along the Seine where the parade is taking place are extensively closed to vehicular traffic.