Investigation launched into train crash
A train derailment in Cumbria left one person dead and several seriously injured on the evening of February 23. The Virgin Pendolino train, which was traveling from London to Glasgow and carrying around 120 people, left the tracks at 2015, sending many of its carriages sprawling across a nearby field. Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service was called to the scene at 2017, providing a total of ten pumps, three major rescue vehicles and three Landrovers. By the latter stages of the incident response, 96 fire and rescue personnel had been in attendance, under the auspices of CFO Bernard Dolan, who had initiated major incident procedures earlier on in the evening. Search and rescue efforts were hampered by poor weather conditions, with pouring rain leading to waterlogged ground. Things were made more difficult by the terrain itself, with access to the crash site often available only via narrow country lanes. The incident was scaled down to one pump as the night progressed, with the crew finally returning home at around 1400 the next day.
According to sources, as well as those with serious injuries, a number of passengers were also taken to three local hospitals. A further 65 with minor injuries were treated at the scene and at a nearby farm, before being taken to a nearby hotel in Kendal. Train services in the area were seriously disrupted immediately following the incident, with train operators closing the stretch of West Coast Main Line track around the site. Trains coming to the area from the south stopped at Lancaster and Preston, while passengers coming from a northerly direction were asked to disembark at Carlisle. Local connections were served by replacement bus services. Contractors were employed in the week following the incident in order to construct two temporary roadways along which to transport the heavy lifting gear needed to remove the carriages from the site. An investigation was launched by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch immediately following the incident.
Arson suspected in North London schoolArsonists are thought to be to blame for a fire which ripped through a school classroom in Edmonton, North London on March 12. Fire crews from Edmonton and Tottenham were joined by fire investigators from East Ham at the blaze. Several 999 callers reported the fire at Wilbury Primary School, in Wilbury Way, Edmonton, London N18. Firefighters in breathing apparatus used two jets to tackle the fire, which is thought to have started outside the building, and spread to the main structure. The first crews were alerted just before 2130, and joined minutes later by colleagues from Tottenham.
Building collapse causes chaos
Fire and rescues services were mobilised on February 13 following the partial collapse of a four storey building on Commercial Road in the Whitechapel area of East London. Around 50 firefighters from London were called to the scene, who, before they could gain access to the property, had to dismantle scaffolding at the front of the building. Progress was further hampered by a substantial amount of debris that had spilled onto the pavement in front of the building following the collapse.
Ten people were treated for injuries at the scene, with paramedics also treating another passer-by for shock. Commercial Road was blocked in both directions, with traffic being diverted towards Mile End. Diversions also affected bus services in the area. An investigation has been launched by the Heath and Safety Executive in order to determine the cause of the collapse.
Meg the hero
One positive that emerged from the events in East London was the first use of Kent Fire and Rescue’s Urban Search and Rescue dog Meg, who was deployed alongside sound tests in order to ascertain whether anyone was trapped inside the site.
Working alongside her handler, Ramsgate Watch Manager Dave Hudson, Springer Spaniel Meg has been specially trained to search collapsed buildings as part of the newly-formed 30-strong Kent USAR team. Based in Maidstone, the purpose of the unit is to provide response to major and catastrophic incidents and is one of 20 set up nationwide.
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