London train collision: Passenger trains collide near Bedford, 9 seriously injured, 28 hospitalized
At least 28 people remain in hospital, with nine in a critical condition, after two East Midlands Railway (EMR) trains collided near Bedford on Friday night, killing the driver of one of the trains.British Transport Police Chief Superintendent Lucy D’Orsi said more than 80 people had required hospital treatment following the crash. On Saturday morning, 28 of the 89 injured were still receiving treatment.“Tragically the driver of one of the trains died in the collision,” Dorsey told reporters. “His family have been notified and are being supported by specially trained officers.”
Train hits slower service
The accident occurred just after 5pm when an EMR train hit the rear of another train on the same line. The trains involved include a 4.40pm train from Corby and a 3.50pm train from Nottingham, both bound for London St Pancras.Investigators are working to determine the exact sequence of events leading up to the crash.
Survivors describe chaotic scenes
according to The GuardianPassenger Brett Byatt, a teacher from Bedford whose train struck the slower train, described the scene of destruction inside the carriage.He said the passengers were thrown to the other side of the carriage on impact and suffered broken bones and severe bleeding injuries. Byatt claimed that only a few people in his carriage were unscathed.He told the BBC: “As the passenger thrust forward, the seat moved backwards and hit the person behind it.” today The program added that he witnessed a woman suffering a broken leg in an accident.Passengers began administering first aid to the injured and emergency services arrived about 10 minutes later.Rail journalist Tony Myers told the BBC that investigators would examine data from the train’s “black box” recorder to determine what happened before the collision.
King Charles ‘very sad’
Buckingham Palace said King Charles III was kept informed of the latest developments and was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy.A royal spokesman said the king’s thoughts were with the family of the deceased driver and all those injured or affected by the incident.
Investigation is ongoing
Inspectors from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch have been sent to the accident scene to collect evidence.British Rail said it was “deeply saddened” by the death of a rail colleague and thanked emergency services and rail staff for their swift response to the incident.The investigation is expected to focus on operational data, signaling systems and train operations before the collision.
