At least 7 dead, scores injured as London trolley derails

LONDON — At least seven people were killed and about 50 injured Wednesday when a trolley derailed in the British capital, police said.

The rare incident happened in the south London borough of Croydon at around 6.15 a.m. local time. A 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, police said. Various media outlets reported that he was the driver.

The injured have been taken to hospitals, British Transport Police (BTP) said in a statement.

“This is a tragic incident and our hearts and thoughts go out to all those affected," said Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock, of BTP.

“I heard a massive crash at about 6.15 a.m., then heard shouting, then the emergency services arrived,” local resident Hannah Collier, 23, told the Associated Press. “They started bringing up the casualties, some very seriously injured. People were carried away on stretchers,” she said.

Adil Salahi, 76, whose home overlooks the track, told the AP he was praying when he heard the crash.

“I could not move and try to check what it is. I thought it was something in the garage doors. Then I thought it was some lorry," he said.

The incident is believed to be the first fatal trolley crash in the United Kingdom since 1959, when three people died when a trolley caught fire after it collided with a truck in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain's Press Association reported.

In London, trolleys only operate in the south of the city.