LONDON — Emergency crews were sent to a rail crash north of London on Friday after two trains collided, leaving at least one person dead and dozens more hurt. One passenger said the force of the impact threw him forward before he noticed other riders suffering broken bones and bleeding injuries.
The two trains had both been heading south toward London St. Pancras when they crashed near Bedford at about 5:15 p.m., rail tracking data indicated. A large emergency response followed, with resources sent to the area including an air ambulance and a hazardous incident team from the East of England Ambulance Service.
Police said in a statement that several people had been injured and that one person had “very sadly died.” Authorities declared a major incident, with officers continuing to work at the site alongside Bedfordshire Police, fire and rescue personnel and ambulance crews.
The East of England Ambulance Service later reported that 11 people sustained very serious injuries, 22 others were seriously hurt and 56 people had minor injuries.
Passenger Peter Knapp said he was aboard the rear train when the crash happened suddenly, with no warning beforehand.
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Knapp said he was hurled into the seat in front of him and then noticed smoke. Around him, he recalled, passengers were crying and screaming as fear and confusion spread through the carriage.
He said that when he stood up, he saw people who could not speak and others with broken legs. Knapp added that he was eventually able to escape the train by squeezing through a gap in the doors.
Images and video shared on social media appeared to show dozens of passengers gathered near emergency vehicles on a road running alongside the railway line. Some people had bandages, while many others appeared to be unhurt.
The RMT union, which represents many railway workers, said it was monitoring the situation and expressed its concern over reports of “serious injuries” sustained by both train staff and passengers.
East Midlands Railway said in a statement that the 4:40 p.m. train from Corby to St. Pancras had been involved in the collision with the 3:50 p.m. train from Nottingham to the same station. The company said it had cancelled all trains to and from St. Pancras for the rest of Friday and it was unable to confirm the schedule for Saturday.
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