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Both trains were traveling south to London St. Pancras station
when they collided outside the town of Bedford around 5:15 p.m.,
according to information on rail tracking websites. Emergency
services deployed a number of resources to the scene including
an air ambulance and hazardous incident team from the East of
England Ambulance Service.
“We know that a number of people have been injured and one
person has very sadly died,’’ police said in a statement. “A
major incident has been declared, and officers are continuing to
respond at the scene alongside colleagues from Bedfordshire
Police and the local Fire and Rescue and Ambulance Services.''
The East of England Ambulance Service later said that 11 people
had very serious injuries, 22 were seriously injured and 56 had
minor injuries.
Eddie Dempsey, the general secretary of the National Union of
Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, said the fatality was a
train driver.
Peter Knapp, a passenger, said he was in the rear train when the
collision occurred without any warning.
“There was a moment of being flung into the chair in front, and
then I saw smoke," Knapp said. “People were crying, screaming.
People were so scared and confused.”
“I got up and I saw a lot of people who were unable to speak,
had broken legs," he added. "And then I managed to get out of
the train and because I’m quite thin I was able to squeeze out
through the gap in the doors.”
Photos and videos posted on social media showed dozens of
people, some with bandages but many who appeared uninjured,
standing and sitting among emergency vehicles parked on a road
that runs parallel to the train tracks.
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 canceled 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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