Eleven people have been injured after a passenger train derailed near Lewes railway station in East Sussex, with two passengers reported to have suffered serious injuries.
The incident happened at around 3.44pm on Thursday when three carriages left the tracks and came to rest on their sides, prompting a major emergency response across the area.
British Transport Police said several passengers were initially trapped inside the train, but emergency crews succeeded in evacuating everyone safely.
Sussex Police, firefighters, ambulance teams and other emergency services were deployed to the scene, with some of those injured receiving treatment at the site before being taken to nearby hospitals.
Assistant Chief Constable Ian Drummond-Smith said a major incident had been declared as emergency services worked to deal with the aftermath.
“All passengers on the train have now been safely evacuated,” he said, adding that authorities were assisting the Rail Accident Investigation Branch as it begins work to establish what caused the derailment.
The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation, and there was no immediate indication of what caused the train to leave the tracks.
Transport Minister Heidi Alexander said the Government was working with the rail industry to support those affected and respond to the incident.
The derailment is expected to cause significant disruption to rail services in the Lewes area while investigators and emergency crews continue their work. Photo by Editor5807, Wikimedia commons.
