Man dies attempting dangerous 'train surfing' trend on roof of Paris Metro train

A man has died in Paris after attempting a stunt which involved climbing onto the roof of a moving metro train.

Police in the French capital believe that the 21-year-old was "train surfing", a craze which has slowly spread throughout major world cities.

The incident took place at around 7pm on Tuesday 24 October at the Bir-Hakeim Metro station, close to the Eiffel Tower.

Witnesses at the scene are reported to have seen the man on top of the train as it departed the station, but he hit his head on the roof and fell onto the tracks of the Bir-Hakeim bridge.

Speaking to L'Express, a British tourist said: "When the train started to leave the platform, he sat and turned his back on a low bridge that was approaching.

"He smiled at everyone on the platform. We then heard people screaming and he hit the bridge and was thrown from the train. There was a terrible thud as he hit the metal surface. It was terrifying."

Photographs taken at the scene later showed forensic investigators walking along the bridge onto which the body fell onto.

The Service 6 line was disrupted for much of the evening while investigations were carried out at the scene.

The bridge is thought to be a popular place for daredevils to engage in "train surfing" due to the roofless section of the bridge which provides views over the Seine and of the Eiffel Tower.

The nationality of the victim has yet to be revealed. The incident comes less than a year after a British man was killed after he also attempted a similar stunt in Paris.

And in December 2016, a group of free runners (pictured above) angered authorities by running along the carriage of a moving train.