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Clapham rail disaster: Memorial service held | Clapham rail disaster: Memorial service held |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A two-minute silence has been held to remember 35 people who died in the Clapham rail crash 25 years ago. | A two-minute silence has been held to remember 35 people who died in the Clapham rail crash 25 years ago. |
The silence was held at 08:13 GMT, the exact time the three-train collision happened close to Clapham Junction station in south London. | |
Survivors attended a service at the crash memorial site near the scene of the accident, which took place on 12 December 1988. | Survivors attended a service at the crash memorial site near the scene of the accident, which took place on 12 December 1988. |
One, George Gillon, from London, said he was "one of the lucky ones". | |
'Friends killed' | |
On the day Mr Gillon, now 71, was travelling from Hampshire in the third carriage of the London-bound Bournemouth train. | |
"I was one of the lucky ones," he said. | "I was one of the lucky ones," he said. |
"A number of my friends on that train were killed." | "A number of my friends on that train were killed." |
A second service was also held at the memorial site, which was attended by train drivers and representatives of their union, Aslef. | |
Prayers at the service mentioned the pupils of nearby Emanuel School, who helped treat the injured after the crash. | Prayers at the service mentioned the pupils of nearby Emanuel School, who helped treat the injured after the crash. |
On the day, two commuter trains, carrying an estimated 1,300 passengers between them, collided just outside the station. | |
'Important lessons' | 'Important lessons' |
A third empty train later ran into the wreckage killing some passengers who had survived the first crash. | |
Before the service, rail minister Baroness Kramer paid tribute to those who had lost their lives. | |
"Important lessons have been learnt since then and Britain today has one of the safest rail networks in the world," she said. | "Important lessons have been learnt since then and Britain today has one of the safest rail networks in the world," she said. |
"However, we must never become complacent. We must always make sure that safety remains the number one priority on our railways." |
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