On April 9, 2026, a Dutch truck carrying 306 Irish calves overturned on the A29 near Framerville-Rainecourt, in the Somme department in northern France. No fewer than 105 calves did not survive. The driver sustained minor injuries.
The calves were only a few weeks old and were being transported to the Netherlands.
The vehicle was a closed truck, in which animals are fully dependent on mechanical ventilation and are very difficult to access. Emergency services had to cut open the vehicle to rescue the surviving calves.
The accident once again highlights the serious risks involved in the import of unweaned calves. Previous investigations by Eyes on Animals, together with EFI and L214, documented that Irish calves transported to countries including the Netherlands can go without milk for more than 30 hours and are kicked and beaten at assembly centres.
Eyes on Animals will further investigate what exactly went wrong in this transport.
Watch a video: https://videos.courrier-picard.fr/share?mdtk=01348044&video_id=38uuklf&source=share
