Several people were injured after a passenger train derailed and slammed into an oncoming train.
At around 7.20 pm on Sunday, at least 12 people were injured after a passenger train derailed just north of Salisbury in England.
According to the preliminary reports, the train derailed in a tunnel after slamming into an obstruction that caused its rear car to collide with the signaling. Moments later, the disaster worsened as an oncoming train slammed into the derailed train.
While at least 12 people were injured during the accident, British Transport Police have confirmed that no one had suffered life-threatening injuries as a result of the crash.
Following the incident, witnesses compared the collision to a “bomb going off” with one young mom recalling “a long rumbling sound like thunder.”
“It was a noise we’ve never heard before, my young ones started panicking thinking it was a bomb and we said maybe a lorry had crashed on the London Road and not to panic,” 25-year-old Tamar Vellacott, who was walking with her family some half a mile from the crash, said.
“There was no screeching like brakes, just a long rumbling sound like thunder. It did spook us though, so we decided to get in our car and drive home. Three police cars passed us at speed.”
Meanwhile, emergency services, including two helicopters, were seen rushing to the scene and storming the trains in search of wounded passengers.
“My thoughts go out to those affected by the serious rail incident near Salisbury,” Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, said as he reassured the public that a proper investigation will be carried out.
“Emergency services on scene & we are working closely with @networkrail & operators. The @railgovuk & @railandroad will investigate. We need to understand how this happened to prevent in the future.”
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