London: Passengers have described scenes of panic and disbelief after two East Midlands Railway services collided north of London on Friday afternoon, leaving one person dead and dozens injured.

The crash, near Bedford, involved two London-bound trains travelling on the same line. For those on board, the impact came with little warning.

“I was flung into the chair in front of me and then I saw smoke,” said passenger Pete Knapp, who was in the front carriage of one of the trains. “People were crying, screaming… so scared and confused.” He added that several passengers around him appeared unable to speak, while others had broken bones.

Another passenger, Teresa Itabor, recalled hearing “a massive bang” moments before impact. “I opened my eyes and saw people on the floor with blood everywhere,” she told the BBC.

In the immediate aftermath, passengers were left disoriented inside damaged carriages. Some remained seated in shock, while others attempted to help those around them despite injuries. Others evacuated onto the tracks and into nearby fields as emergency services made their way to the scene.

Knapp, who suffered injuries to his legs and back, said he was “in shock” but able to move after the collision. He described a scene of confusion inside the carriage, with injured passengers and others struggling to comprehend what had happened.

Emergency responders later confirmed that one person had died at the scene. Eleven people were seriously injured, 22 were described as seriously hurt, and a further 56 sustained minor injuries. Ambulances and air ambulances transported the most seriously injured to hospital.

For many passengers, the experience was defined by sudden violence followed by silence, smoke, and uncertainty—before the slow realisation of the scale of the incident outside the wrecked carriages.

Rail services into London St Pancras were suspended as investigators began examining the scene.