Several passengers injured during Dalston Kingland station evacuation after workman's drill 'explodes'

Passenger describes 'sheer terror' and 'panic' on train

Samuel Osborne
Wednesday 08 February 2017 09:41 GMT
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Passengers spill onto London Overground platform after train fills with smoke

Several people have been injured after a battery pack reportedly exploded on board a London Overground train.

The train had to be evacuated at Dalston Kingsland station after a workman's drill overheated and was smoking, British Transport Police said, with reports of smoke coming from a carriage.

The London Fire Brigade said firefighters extinguished the smoking battery and placed it in a bucket of sand.

The London Overground train was evacuated after reports of smoke coming from the carriage

One passenger tweeted to say there had been "sheer terror" and "panic" on board the train.

Another replied to say: "I was on the train and everyone jumped onto the tracks it was horrific."

Another described a "stampede" as people left the train.

Hackney Council said there were "several walking wounded" and urged people to avoid the area.

The London Ambulance Service and police were on the scene, and the train was evacuated around 7.15am.

The Metropolitan Police in Hackney tweeted that there had been a "reported issue with electrics on the train in the station", but it has since been declared safe.

London Fire Brigade in Hackney said crews from Stoke Newington were called to the incident.

A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said crews were called at 7.36am to an incident at the station.

She said: "We sent four ambulance crews, a single responder in a car, an incident response officer and our hazardous area response team (Hart) to the scene.

"We are treating a small number of patients at the scene for minor injuries."

A BTP spokeswoman said: "We were called at 7.10am today to Dalston Kingsland to reports of smoke on a train.

"Several passengers left the train as a result of the smoke.

"Fire service also attended and established that a workman's drill had overheated and was smoking.

"A number of people have sustained minor injuries and were treated by the ambulance service at the scene.

"This incident is not being treated as suspicious at this time."

Dalston Kingsland station has now reopened with severe delays.

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