Croydon tram derailment: Tram driver arrested as death toll rises to seven

Jamie Bullen10 November 2016

Police have confirmed the death toll in the Croydon tram crash has risen to seven people as a man was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

The British Transport Police confirmed the updated figure after investigators earlier confirmed five passengers had died.

The tram driver, a 42-year-old man from Beckenham, has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and is in police custody.

British Transport Police said they were investigating whether he fell asleep.

Officers will remain at the scene for the next 24 hours as authorities launch inquiries into the crash.

Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock said: “This is a tragic incident and our hearts and thoughts go out to all those affected.

Tragedy: The tram overturned near Sandilands stop
PA

“When officers arrived on scene this morning shortly after 6am, they were met with a complex and challenging situation.

“Together with our partners from the other emergency services and with support from London resilience agencies, they have worked through the day, and will continue to work throughout the night, at the scene.

“After liaison with the Coroner, we can confirm that at least seven people have lost their lives as a result of this incident.

Fatalities: British Transport Police confirmed at least seven people have now died
PA / Sky News

“Our officers will continue to work tirelessly throughout the evening to formally identify them and provide care and support for their families."

Tragedy struck on Wednesday morning when a packed tram overturned when it derailed on a sharp bend near Sandilands station.

Investigators from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch said the tram was travelling at a "significantly higher speed than is permitted" before it careered off the track.

A spokesman said: "Initial indications suggest that the tram was travelling at a significantly higher speed than is permitted."

Concerned: Sadiq Khan visits the scene of a tram crash in Croydon
PA

Transport for London also said it had also launched an inquiry to identify what went "catastrophically wrong".

London’s Transport Commissioner Mike Brown said: “I am devastated for the families and friends of those who have lost their lives and those who have been injured.

“Clearly something has gone catastrophically wrong and we will work tirelessly and quickly with the emergency services, the tram operator First Group and others to establish a cause.”

Croydon Tram derailment

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More than 70 firefighters were sent to the emergency operation as dozens of passengers were rushed to two hospitals in south London.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Croydon MP Gavin Barwell were among those to visit the scene.

Passengers told of "carnage" and "blood everywhere" as they likened the derailment to "something out of a film".

Martin Bamford, 30, from Croydon described the scene as “total carnage”.

Major response: The crash sparked a huge emergency operation
Carl Court/Getty Images

Speaking outside Croydon University Hospital, where he is being treated for fractured or broken ribs, Mr Bamford said: "It was just terrifying."

"There was a woman that was on top of me. I don't think she made it at all. She wasn't responsive. There was blood everywhere."

Asked about the driver, he said: "I asked him if he was okay. He said 'yeah'. I said to him 'what happened?' He said he thinks he blacked out."

Cordon: Police stand guard near the scene
LBC

Kudirat Okesola, 46, rushed to her husband's side as soon as she heard he had been caught up in the incident.

Taiye Ajibola, who was on his way to work, was "very anxious", Ms Okesola said, adding that there was a lot of blood.

"Even my husband was covered with blood," she said.

Ms Okesola said some people were trapped underneath the tram calling for help.

"People were screaming. People were crying," she said.

Shocked witnesses and local residents told how they heard a "loud crash" before emergency vehicles flooded the area.

Hannah Collier, who lives nearby the tram station, said: "Heard a massive crash outside my window, now emergency services everywhere for the overturned tram, hope everyone is ok."

Police at the scene
Ben Morgan

The 23-year-old added that she had seen people being carried away on stretchers from the scene of the incident.

James Long, who lives metres away from the scene of the incident, told the Standard: "It happened on a sharp bend on the approach to Sandilands tram stop.

"I've never seen so many emergency services attend a scene."

Miguel John, who was on a bus to Bromley when it stopped by Sandilands tram stop, told the Standard: "The road hadn't been shut off yet but emergency services were already at the scene, this would have been around 6.30am.

Scene: Police, ambulances and fire engines were in attendance
James Long

“By this point more emergency services were flooding to the scene and a police car shut off the road with vehicles being ushered down Elgin Road towards Addiscombe.

“But it was obvious it was very, very serious due to the amount of emergency services at the scene.

“At first there would have been roughly between six or 10 [vehicles], as time passed a lot more arrived and continued to arrive.

“Visibly from where I was about two fire engines, two to three ambulances, several police cars and then more arrived as time went on.

“I think that’s how everyone knew it was very serious, especially how quickly they acted to shut off the road.”

The crash is believed to be the first tram crash involving fatalities on board since 1959, when two women passengers and the driver died after a tram caught fire in Glasgow, following a collision with a lorry.

London's only tram network operates in the south of the capital, from Wimbledon to Beckenham Junction, Elmers End and New Addington, via Croydon.

More than 27 million passengers used the service in 2015/16. The system uses a combination of on-street and segregated running for the 17 miles (27km) of track.

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