Train Chaos in East Sussex: 20 Injured as Carriages Topple Near Lewes!
Train Chaos in East Sussex: 20 Injured as Carriages Topple Near Lewes!
Panic onboard a Southern service as it derails near Lewes, injuring 20 passengers, two seriously. Accounts describe a terrifying ordeal. Read the harrowing details here.
A passenger train derailment near Lewes, East Sussex, has left twenty people injured, with two in serious condition, after a major incident was declared. The 14:24 BST Southern service, traveling from London Victoria to Eastbourne, came off the tracks close to Lewes railway station shortly before 16:00 BST. All 150 passengers on board have since been safely evacuated, but the incident caused significant disruption and widespread concern.
Eyewitness accounts paint a vivid picture of the terrifying moments as the train derailed. Passengers described "pandemonium" and intense screaming as the carriages violently shook. Rachel Heath, a passenger, recounted, "The train started rocking violently and then I remember clocking eyes with this guy and then there was a lot of screaming. It felt like we flew in the air and the carriage landed on its side and it slid." She added that it felt like "a movie," with some passengers bleeding and cut. Rob Bradley, traveling with his six-year-old daughter, similarly described "pandemonium" and feeling his carriage "jump upwards."
Photographs from the scene showed people standing on top of overturned carriages, highlighting the severity of the incident. British Transport Police confirmed that three carriages derailed, initially trapping several individuals. Emergency teams, including an air ambulance, swiftly responded to the scene. Patients were assessed and treated on-site, with some transferred to local hospitals for further care. Chief Superintendent Dominique Ioannou of British Transport Police stated that while two people sustained serious injuries, a further 18 suffered less serious injuries.
The derailment led to the closure of several rail routes in the area, and the public was advised to avoid the vicinity to allow emergency services to work efficiently. Investigations are now underway to determine the cause of the incident, which has shocked many and brought focus back to rail safety.
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