A collision between two trains registered this Friday near Bedford, in central England, has left several injured and has caused the partial interruption of rail traffic towards London, as confirmed by British authorities.
The police of Bedfordshire county and the Fire and Rescue Service have reported through social networks that they are attending an "incident" on the railway line south of Bedford following a collision between two trains.
Dozens of injured transferred to hospitals
Although official figures have not yet been confirmed, local media suggest that around 50 people may have been injured, several of them transferred to hospital centers in the area.
The British Minister of Health, James Murray, has acknowledged on social networks that there are "a number of injured" and has urged caution until the emergency services' assessment is complete.
A chain collision after a possible security failure
According to initial information, one of the trains was stopped after a technical failure in the security system, at which point a second train impacted its rear, causing the accident.
The event took place around 5:15 PM local time, between trains coming from Nottingham and Corby, and has affected the line connecting Luton airport with London.
Investigations underway and initial hypotheses
Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact causes of the accident, although technical teams are working with the hypothesis of a failure in the signaling or automatic braking system.
Images disseminated on social networks show significant damage to one of the trains, including the derailment of several carriages.
Concern of the British Government
The Minister of Transport, Heidi Alexander, has expressed her "deep concern" about what happened and has assured that the Executive is closely monitoring the evolution of the incident while the events are being investigated.
Emergency services have requested logistical reinforcements to assist the affected passengers, while the rescue and assistance operation continues in the area.