Twenty-eight people remain in hospital, nine of them in a critical condition, after two trains collided near Bedford, England.
The crash, which killed a train driver, involved two East Midlands Railway services, one smashing into the back of the other on the same line shortly after 5pm on Friday.
Speaking at a press conference near the scene on Saturday, British Transport Police chief constable Lucy D’Orsi said: “Tragically, the driver of one of the trains died in the collision.
“His family have been informed and our deepest condolences are with them, his friends, and his colleagues at East Midlands Railway.
“The driver’s family, as you would expect, are being supported by specially trained officers at this difficult time.
“Over 80 people were treated at hospital last night. As of this morning, 28 remain in hospital, and nine are in a critical condition.”
D’Orsi thanked emergency service teams and railway staff for their response to the incident, adding: “I also want to thank local people who showed immense kindness to those stranded on trains and to the casualties.”
Andy Hopkinson, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue chief fire officer, said more than 70 fire officers had been involved in the response, adding there had been no fire during the incident.
The two trains involved were the 4.40pm departure from Corby and the 3.50pm departure from Nottingham, both to London St Pancras.
East Midlands Railway’s managing director Will Rogers said it was a “profoundly sad day for the railway community” and that the company was supporting the investigation.
He said “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with family, friends, and colleagues of our driver and everybody else who has been injured or affected by this tragic incident.”
Earlier on Saturday, Buckingham Palace said king Charles was “greatly saddened” by the crash and that his “thoughts and sympathies are with the family of the deceased and with all those injured of affected by such a tragic incident”.
Prime minister Keir Starmer described the crash as “hugely concerning” and said he was “grateful to the emergency services for their swift response to this tragic incident”.
Passenger Pete Knapp described people “crying, screaming” and said some seemed to have major injuries.
Knapp said: “There was a moment of being flung into the chair in front, and then I saw smoke. People were crying, screaming, people were so scared and confused.”
He said he saw people with “life-threatening, major injuries, minor injuries” as well as “people with bandages, people who couldn’t see straight”, while others like him were still able to walk.
Brett Byatt, another passenger on board, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he was among three or four people in his carriage who were not injured, adding: “Everyone else had either a serious wound that was bleeding profusely, or a situation where they couldn’t stand, or couldn’t move their neck, or I saw a woman’s snapped leg.”
Byatt, who lives in Bedford, said he was now feeling “angry” the morning after the collision.
“I don’t know at whom, who specifically, but it’s more about we’ve got one of the oldest railway networks and signal failures happen a lot, and now I’m just wondering … why wasn’t that signalled to my train and why did that train driver lose his life over this?” he said.
Police and network rail crews remained at the scene on Saturday as reporters were allowed on to a field next to the railway line to get a closer view of the site.
The front of the train from Corby has been crushed where it collided with the rear of the train from Nottingham.
On the rear train, which has Luton Airport Express livery, there is visible damage to the rear of the carriages which have been shunted into ones in front.
Network Rail said on Saturday that part of the East Midlands route remained closed as the emergency response continued and teams assessed damage to the trains and infrastructure. – PA
