British train derails at Lewes on its way from London Victoria to Eastbourne, dozens injured
The derailment has been likened to ‘a movie’ with passengers trapped after a train suddenly came off the tracks.
Dozens have been left injured and a serious incident declared after the dramatic derailment of a train in the UK.
The train was travelling from London Victoria to Eastbourne and was about an hour and a half into its journey when it came off the tracks near Lewes Station in East Sussex.
About 20 people were injured when the three carriages derailed, two of those seriously injured.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Several people became trapped in the train, according to the BBC.
Some patients were treated at the scene while others were rushed to hospital.
It was declared a “major incident” and ambulances, police officers and firefighters were deployed to help.
All 150 passengers were eventually evacuated safely.
Rachel Heath, a passenger, told the BBC that “it was like a movie”.
“The train started rocking violently and then I remember clocking eyes with this guy and then there was a lot of screaming,” she said.
“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.
“There was a mum who was bleeding from her mouth and a dad and his son who had cuts.”
It is understood that the train was quite full at the time of the derailment but it remains unknown what caused the incident.
Another passenger described the moment the train went “topsy-turvy” to The Sun.
“I’m just happy to be alive and that there were no fatalities on the train,” Susan Lees said.
“Some people were injured quite badly I understand, we’ve all been looked after so wonderfully.”
She said that she noticed smoke out of the window as the train approached Lewes.
“I thought the fields were alight. And then suddenly the train picked up enormous speed and I could feel it was leaning on two wheels,” Ms Lees said.
“The next thing we crashed and the whole thing rolled over.
“I don’t know whether we were at the top of an incline and we could slide down further but I was very happy when we were down in the ditch at the bottom.
“I’ve got very very painful ribs. I was sitting on the side that hit the ground so that’s lucky. I didn’t go flying through the air from the other side.”
Nathan Cole was in the last carriage of the locomotive when it started wobbling.
“Even before it derailed it wobbled and I saw a woman kind of grab onto her seat,” he told The Sun.
“I’m even a bit worried myself.
“Then after I heard the suspension go into full force, the train carried on going, and then within a minute, it’s done it again, and then it’s just gone straight off the track.
“I’m facing backwards, I’m travelling backwards, but the window is to my right side.
“One woman almost fell on me. The woman who was holding onto the chair, when the train came to a stop I had to pick her up because she couldn’t really move.
“At that time, I didn’t really feel any pain. I think it was the adrenaline.
“I just wanted to get out of the train.
“I was worried that the train was going to catch on fire, to be honest.”
The scary event happened on one of the hottest days of the year in the UK, which has been recently plagued by heatwaves.
An investigation is underway to determine what happened to prompt the derailment.
The railway line will be closed until at least Monday.
