Eleven people were injured after a passenger train derailed in southern England on Thursday, with two people suffering serious injuries and nine others sustaining minor injuries, British Transport Police said. The Southern Rail service was travelling from London Victoria station to Eastbourne when it went off the tracks outside the tourist town of Lewes. Around 150 people were on board the train at the time of the incident.

Three carriages overturned during the derailment, prompting a major emergency response involving firefighters, paramedics and police. Aerial footage showed emergency crews attending to passengers in a field beside the derailed train, while several ambulances and three helicopters were deployed to assist with the response. All passengers were evacuated from the train within about three hours, according to British Transport Police.

Passenger Rob Bradley described the moments before the train came to a stop, saying it began rocking as it picked up speed before the carriage suddenly moved upward and the brakes engaged. He was travelling with his six-year-old daughter and said their belongings were thrown forward as the train skidded before stopping. Bradley said the rear section of the train had been badly affected, with smoke and dust entering the carriage.

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Bradley said he and his daughter were not injured, but he saw other passengers who appeared to have suffered injuries after some of the carriages overturned. He also reported seeing a carriage that had flipped onto its side and slid down an embankment into a lower field. Another passenger reportedly told him they had been injured when a train window shattered during the derailment.

Emergency services worked to evacuate passengers and provide medical assistance at the scene. The presence of multiple ambulances and helicopters reflected the scale of the response after several carriages overturned. Authorities have not yet provided details about the circumstances that caused the train to leave the tracks.

The cause of the derailment remains under investigation. British Transport Police and other relevant authorities are expected to examine the condition of the railway infrastructure, the train and other factors as part of the inquiry. The incident has disrupted rail services in the area as emergency crews and investigators continue their work at the scene.

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