A commuter has spoken about the harrowing moment he saw a 12-year-old girl hit by a train at Brixton Tube station this morning.
One man, who gave his name as Nick, from Streatham Hill, was in the middle of platform two at about 8.40am when he saw somebody fall on to the tracks and disappear under the approaching train just yards in front of him.
He told the Brixton Blog: “I can still see it now. I didn’t know it was a girl, she was wearing a big parka, with a hood on her head.
“Then came the noise, screams, sound of brakes. People were petrified, and some were screaming or crying.”
He added: “I was shaking so much I had to sit on a bench. Then I only remember going out of the station, and following people like a zombie.”
An air ambulance crew and firefighters battled to rescue the girl. She was in a “serious” condition at Kings College Hospital, Denmark Hill earlier today, though an update to her condition is not known this evening.
Brixton station was closed for over an hour during the operation, and only re-opened at about 10am with severe delays to trains on the Victoria Line. Above ground traffic came to a standstill as thousand of commuters tried to continue their journey on foot and by buses.
Nick said he was too distressed to stay at work, and was “terrified” when he had to pass through Brixton station again on his way home.
Another eyewitness, Angela Wolff, said: “Someone went under the train just as I turned onto the platform.
“Still feel like I’m in shock and I didn’t even see anything. Just heard the bang and screams and a sea of shocked pale faces.”
A spokesman for the British Transport Police (BTP) said: “BTP and Metropolitan Police officers attended the incident which was reported to BTP at 8.40am and is currently being treated as non-suspicious.
“Paramedics from London Ambulance Service also attended and the girl, believed to be 12-years-old, was taken to the King’s College Hospital for treatment. Her injuries are thought to be life threatening.”
The Tube station had been temporarily closed just moments before the incident, after a faulty train on the line, and the station was very busy.
Police are investigating exactly how the girl came to be on the tracks, but say they are not treating the incident as suspicious.
