On Friday, the British Transport Police announced that they were responding to a train collision north of London. Emergency ‌services were ⁠called ⁠at about 5:15 p.m. (1615 UTC).

"We're responding to reports of a collision involving two trains in the Bedford area," the transport police force wrote on X, referring to a market town about 55 miles (90 kilometers) north of London.

Later, police said in a statement: "We know that a number of people have been injured and one person has sadly died."

Other emergency services were also responding to the incident.

The East of England Ambulance Service said it sent multiple resources, including an air ambulance, to respond to a collision on the railway south of Bedford. The service urged people to avoid the area.

One person died at the scene, 11 people suffered very serious injuries, 22 were seriously injured, and 56 had minor injuries, it reported.

What do we know about the collision?

Unverified footage posted to social media appeared to show two East Midlands Railway (EMR) trains colliding, with one running into the other.

According to the images posted, the trains appeared to have remained upright on the track.

Photos and videos posted on social media also showed dozens of people — some bandaged, others seemingly uninjured — standing and sitting among emergency vehicles parked on a road parallel to the train tracks.

EMR posted on X that "emergency services are dealing with an incident between London St Pancras and Leicester," but did not provide further details.

EMR trains to and from London were suspended for the rest of the day.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was "hugely concerning," adding that his thoughts were "with the family of the person who has sadly lost their life, and with those who have been seriously injured."

Edited by: Rana Taha

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