DistantNews
Support us
Passenger train derails in East Sussex; 20 injured
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง United Kingdom /Disasters & Emergencies

Passenger train derails in East Sussex; 20 injured

From BBC News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A passenger train derailed in East Sussex, England, injuring 20 people, two seriously.
  • The incident occurred near Lewes railway station shortly before 4:00 PM BST.
  • Emergency services responded, and several rail routes in the area were closed.

Twenty people sustained injuries, with two suffering serious harm, after a passenger train derailed in East Sussex, England. The incident prompted a major emergency response near Lewes railway station.

The train started rocking violently and then I remember clocking eyes with this guy and then there was a lot of screaming.

โ€” Rachel HeathPassenger Rachel Heath described the moments leading up to the derailment.

The train, identified as the 14:24 BST Southern service traveling from London Victoria to Eastbourne, came off the tracks shortly before 4:00 PM BST. Images from the scene depicted passengers standing atop overturned carriages, highlighting the severity of the derailment.

British Transport Police confirmed that three carriages derailed, trapping several individuals. All 150 passengers on board were eventually evacuated. Emergency teams were dispatched rapidly to the scene, and authorities advised the public to avoid the area. Several rail lines in the vicinity were consequently closed.

It felt like we flew in the air and the carriage landed on its side and it slid. I felt like it was going to completely flip over.

โ€” Rachel HeathPassenger Rachel Heath recounted the terrifying sensation during the derailment.

Passengers described a terrifying experience. One individual, who was in the fourth carriage, recounted how the train began to "rock violently" before the derailment. "It felt like we flew in the air and the carriage landed on its side and it slid. I felt like it was going to completely flip over," they said. Another passenger described seeing a mother bleeding from her mouth and a father and son with cuts, likening the scene to a movie.

There was a mum who was bleeding from her mouth and a dad and his son who had cuts. It was like a movie.

โ€” Rachel HeathPassenger Rachel Heath described the injuries and chaotic scene immediately after the derailment.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by BBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.