1 Dead, 240 Injured in London Train Crash

A packed commuter train plowed into crash barriers at a London station during this morning’s rush hour, killing at least one person, temporarily trapping dozens in the wreckage and injuring more than 240, British Rail said.

The state-owned rail network said the train’s brakes apparently failed.

“The driver put on the brakes, but the train did not stop,” said Chris Jennings of British Rail.

Police declared a “major disaster” at the Cannon Street station in the center of London’s financial district as firefighters struggled to free people from the wreckage.

While the three-hour rescue effort was still going on, the London Ambulance Service said eight people trapped in the wreckage were feared dead.

After the last trapped passenger was freed, a British Rail spokesman said two people were confirmed dead. But other officials at British Rail said later they could confirm only one dead.

Daniel O’Brien, chief superintendent of British Rail Transport Police, said 247 people were injured. Hospital officials said 30 of them were seriously hurt.

The train, which originated in Sevenoaks about 20 miles southeast of London, hit the crash barriers at about 5 m.p.h., British Rail said.

Many of the injured had been standing, ready to get off the train, and were flung about on impact. A spokesman for the opposition Labor Party said the train was overcrowded.