Greater Anglia Train Derails Near Wickford, Essex

Eighteen people were injured, two seriously, when a passenger train derailed near Lewes in East Sussex on Thursday afternoon. Three carriages of the Southern Rail service from London Victoria to Eastbourne left the tracks and toppled onto their sides, trapping passengers inside, according to statements from British Transport Police and South East Coast Ambulance Service. Assistant Chief Constable Ian Drummond-Smith confirmed a major incident had been declared and that a significant emergency service response was ongoing.

"All passengers on the train have now been safely evacuated," Drummond-Smith said. About 150 people were on board. South East Coast Ambulance Service said two people sustained serious injuries and 16 others were treated for less serious injuries, with some taken to hospital.

Passengers who did not require hospital treatment were taken to a nearby community centre for support. Yana Ludwig, a 56-year-old from the United States travelling from London to Lewes, described the crash as "completely terrifying." "There was a banging. Everything just went topsy turvy," she told Britain's PA Media news agency.

"It seemed like a really long time but it probably was 10 seconds of that before the carriage actually fell on the side." Emergency crews from fire, ambulance and police services worked at the scene near Lewes railway station, about 45 miles south of London. East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said it had ten fire engines, a command support unit, technical rescue units and other resources deployed, and advised the public to avoid the area.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has deployed inspectors to gather evidence, and Network Rail said the line between Haywards Heath and Lewes is likely to remain closed for some time. "At the moment, it would be inappropriate to comment as to the cause of this incident," said Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail's route director for Sussex. UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was "deeply concerned" by the derailment and thanked emergency responders.

The incident occurred during a heatwave, with temperatures in parts of southern England reaching 35 degrees Celsius. Network Rail has previously warned that high temperatures can cause rail track to expand and buckle. Thursday's derailment was the second serious train crash in the UK in two months.

In June, two passenger trains collided near Bedford, killing one person and injuring dozens more.