A collision of two passenger trains on Friday near Bedford, north of London, left one dead and dozens injured, including 11 "very seriously", according to the emergency services who dispatched significant resources.
The collision took place late in the afternoon south of Bedford, a trading town located about 90 kilometers north of the British capital, according to the East Midlands Railway (EMR).
“At one point we were thrown into the opposite seat, and then I saw smoke,” passenger Pete Knapp told the Press Association.
"People were moaning, screaming, people were in shock and haggard," he added.
“I saw a lot of people who were unable to speak, their legs were broken,” this passenger said.
Almost five hours after the collision, the East of England Ambulance Service confirmed that one person had died at the scene. "Eleven other people were very seriously injured, 22 seriously injured and 56 suffered minor injuries," they added.
- "Huge bang" -
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the situation was "extremely worrying" and his thoughts were with the victims' families.
“I am grateful to the emergency services for the speed of their response to this tragic incident,” he added.
Unverified footage posted on social media shows what appears to be two East Midlands Railway (EMR) trains after they collided, one colliding with the other and passengers on the tracks.
According to these images, the two trains remained on the track. However, a passenger claimed that one of the trains had derailed.
The East of England Ambulance Services indicated on social networks that they had sent "many resources, including air" to the scene of a "major incident" south of Bedford.
Passenger Pete Knapp posted images online on the Bluesky platform, explaining that he was in "the lead car" of one of the trains and was "in shock" after the collision.
"I'm okay, my legs are bleeding and I took a blow to the back. The others are not doing well," he added.
One passenger, Teresa Itabor, told the BBC there was "a huge bang" and then her head hit the seat in front of her. “I opened my eyes and that’s when I saw people on the ground, with blood everywhere,” she said.
- "Relatively low speed" -
An EMR spokesperson confirmed the collision of the two trains, one coming from Corby, and the other from Nottingham, two cities in central England.
No trains were able to reach or leave London St Pancras station after the disaster, he said.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was "very concerned".
The Rail Accident Service, which investigates train and railway accidents
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