British Transport Police announced on Friday that they were responding to reports of a train collision north of London. Emergency services were called at around 5:15 pm (1615 GMT)
“We are responding to reports of a collision between two trains in the Bedford area,” the transport police force wrote on X, referring to the market town about 56 miles (90 kilometers) north of London.
Police later said in a statement, “We are aware that a number of people have been injured and one person has tragically died.”
Other emergency services also confirmed they were responding to the incident.
The East of England Ambulance Service said it sent multiple resources, including an air ambulance, to respond to the collision on the railway south of Bedford. The service urged people to avoid the area.
In this, one person died on the spot, 11 people suffered very serious injuries, 22 people were seriously injured and 56 people suffered minor injuries.
What do we know about the collision?
Unverified footage posted on social media shows two East Midlands Railway (EMR) trains colliding, with one of them colliding with the other.
According to the pictures posted, the trains are seen standing straight on the track.
Photos and videos posted on social media showed dozens of people – some bandaged, others uninjured – standing and sitting among emergency vehicles parked on the road parallel to the train tracks.
The EMR posted on Twitter that “emergency services are dealing with an incident between London St Pancras and Leicester,” but did not provide further details.
EMR trains to and from London were suspended for the rest of the day.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was “extremely worrying”, adding that his thoughts were “with the family of the man who has tragically lost his life, and those who have been seriously injured.”
Edited by: Rana Taha
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