Train Collision Near London Leaves One Dead, Dozens Injured

A train driver was killed and dozens more were injured in a collision between two commuter trains near Bedford, about 100 kilometers north of London. The incident was reported by British police and East Midlands Railway, which operated both trains, which were bound for the capital.

Emergency responders said that, in addition to one fatality at the scene, 11 people suffered very serious injuries, 22 were seriously injured and a further 56 sustained minor injuries.

A video posted on social media by one of the passengers shows the front of one train wedged into the rear of the other. The footage indicates that the train cars remained on the tracks, though at least one carriage was reported to have partially derailed.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased and his support for the injured. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the relevant authorities were investigating the cause of the collision.

Peter Knapp, a doctor who was traveling in the front carriage of one of the trains, described the moment of impact as sudden. He said one of the cars derailed and that he himself sustained minor injuries.

(Reuters, bak)