Survivors remember the horror after two trains collided in London, killing the driver and injuring 89 (Images/AP and
Survivors recall scenes of panic and devastation after two commuter trains collided near Bedford, north London, on Friday, killing a train driver and injuring more than 80 people.Describing the moments following the accident, passenger Dr. Pete Knapp told the Press Association: “There was a moment when he was thrown into the chair in front of me, and then I saw smoke. People were crying and screaming, and people were very scared and confused.”The collision occurred at around 5.15pm local time between Bedford and Luton, with both trains heading south towards London St Pancras station. Emergency services, including air ambulances and specialist rescue teams, rushed to the scene after several vehicles derailed.
According to emergency officials, 89 people were injured in the accident. 11 were very seriously injured, 22 were seriously injured and 56 others were treated for minor injuries.Recalling the collision, Knapp said there was no warning before the collision.He said: “There was a moment when he was thrown into the chair in front of me, and then I saw smoke. People were crying and screaming, people were very scared and confused.”
“I got up and saw a lot of people unable to speak, their legs were broken, then I was able to get off the train and because I am very thin, I was able to get out of the gap in the doors.”He added that his first thought was to escape in case the accident was caused by an explosion.He said: “The first thing I thought was that I needed to get off the train in case there was a terrorist explosion, and I thought that getting off the train was safer.”Another passenger, Shola Minni, told the BBC that there was a “big bang” and then “people flew out of the seats.” “Someone flew across and hit my husband in the face. There was a lot of blood. A lot of people had facial injuries,” Minni said.
In another interview, Knapp compared the scene to a bomb explosion.“When I got up, I saw all the chairs everywhere, and I felt like I had been hit by a bomb. When I got up, I saw people’s faces covered in blood, and people’s legs looked broken.
“There was smoke everywhere,” he told the BBC.Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement: “My thoughts are with the family of the person who sadly lost his life, and with those who were seriously injured.”Footage posted on social media from the scene showed injured passengers inside destroyed vehicles, while others were seen wearing bandages sitting next to the railway tracks after being evacuated.Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), confirmed that the person killed was a train driver.“We are devastated to learn that the train driver and former RMT representative has tragically died as a result of today’s accident between Luton and Bedford. RMT’s thoughts are with their families, friends, colleagues and the Aslef Trade Union at this terrible time.”Dave Kalvi, general secretary of the Aslaf Train Drivers Union, also paid tribute to the victim.“Our thoughts tonight are with the family and friends of the driver who died in the crash near Bedford today and with the passengers who were injured in the crash,” he said.East Midlands Rail said the collision involved its 4.40pm service from Corby to London St Pancras and its 3.50pm service from Nottingham to the same destination.The company suspended all train services to and from London St Pancras for the rest of the day while emergency services continued their response and investigators began examining the cause of the collision.
