Twenty people were injured, two seriously, when a passenger train derailed in East Sussex on Thursday. The incident occurred on a Southern service traveling from London Victoria to Eastbourne, near Lewes railway station, shortly before 4:00 PM BST.
British Transport Police confirmed that three carriages derailed, trapping several passengers. All 150 people on board were eventually evacuated. Emergency services declared a major incident, with multiple rail routes in the vicinity closed.
Chief Superintendent Dominique Ioannou of British Transport Police stated that while two individuals sustained serious injuries, an additional 18 passengers suffered less severe injuries. Emergency teams assessed and treated patients at the scene, with some transported to local hospitals. Photographs from the site depicted passengers standing on overturned carriages.
Passengers described the scene as chaotic. One individual, who was on the train with his young daughter, recounted feeling the carriage rocking significantly. Emergency crews were dispatched to the location, and the public was advised to avoid the area while the response was underway.