Dalston Kingsland: Several injured amid 'sheer panic' as fire breaks out on board rush hour Overground train

Patrick Grafton-Green8 February 2017

Several people were injured after a fire broke out on board a rush hour train in east London.

Witnesses described scenes of "sheer terror and panic" and said people were forced to "jump on the tracks" after smoke started filling an Overground train at Dalston Kingsland station.

The London Fire Brigade said the blaze was caused by the battery of a drill, which was being carried by a passenger, overheating.

Seven people were hurt in the fire on a train as it waited at a platform, the London Ambulance Service confirmed.

Pictures emerged on social media of crowds of people on the platform and outside the station after it was evacuated.

The scene of the incident in Dalston
PA

Police and paramedics were also called to the scene shortly after 7am on Wednesday.

'Panic': the aftermath of the incident in Dalston
PA

Hackney Council tweeted: "Train incident at Dalston Kingsland overground station. Several walking wounded. Police & LAS on scene. Plz avoid station & area."

Emergency services at the scene of the incident in Dalston
Rita Alvarez

Witness Aaron Webb said: "Highest praise to @metpoliceuk & @LondonFire this morning for rapid response to incident at Dalston Kingsland. Sheer terror & panic onboard".

Jade Dymock added: "I was on the train and everyone jumped onto the tracks it was horrific."

Chris Ogden tweeted that passengers were "stampeded off the train screaming", while Michael Richmond said: "People started smelling smoke on a train and it evacuated in about 3 seconds of pandemonium."

Adam Gynch said: "Fire on the overground train at Dalston Kingland this morning resulted in a stampede of people off the train."

A spokesman for British Transport Police said: "We were called at 7.10am to Dalston Kingsland to reports of smoke on a train.

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

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

A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade added that the fire broke out on platform one.

Dalston Kingsland was on lockdown during the incident
Rita Alvarez

An LAS spokeswoman said: "We treated four patients for minor injuries, including head, leg and arm injuries, and took them to a hospital in east London.

"We also checked over three patients at the scene but they did not need hospital treatment."

She added four ambulances were sent to the scene.

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