'Exceptional': Hundreds of Paris metro passengers blocked underground at rush hour
The operator of the Paris metro system apologised on Wednesday after hundreds of commuters on various trains were stranded underground in stifling temperatures during rush hour.
The RATP operator's chief executive, Jean Castex, a former French prime minister, has sought an internal probe into the "exceptional incident.”
Five trains on the busy line 4 were stuck starting at 1725 GMT and had to wait underground between stations.
Social media users shared videos of passengers jammed inside carriages, expressing concern for the safety of babies and the elderly on board.
According to the RATP, all of the passengers were eventually evacuated, with social media users posting images of them walking through tunnels to the next station.
"The RATP presents its apologies and its deepest regrets for this incident and its consequences for passengers. It is doing everything possible to support them as best it can," the operator added.
Castex "has requested an internal investigation to determine the exact causes of this rare incident."
The Paris metro is one of the world's oldest urban transport systems, and it has appeared in a number of renowned films.
- With inputs from agencies
