A man has died and over a dozen others were injured after a pair of trains collided in Wales, according to authorities.
The British Transport Police (BTP) shared in a statement that officers responded to the incident involving two “low-speed” trains which occurred on Monday, Oct. 22, at around 7:30 p.m. local time, alongside other emergency services.
Officials confirmed that one man, who was not identified by the BTP, died “following the collision” and his “next of kin” have been notified.
“We can sadly confirm a man has died following this evening’s incident. We extend our deepest sympathies to his loved ones, alongside everyone else impacted and specialist officers continue to provide support,” BTP Superintendent Andrew Morgan said in a press release.
A Transport for Wales train.
transport for wales
An additional 15 people on board the trains were taken to the hospital to be treated for “injuries not believed to be life threatening or life changing.” The BTP said that the rest of the passengers evacuated both trains.
One train had been traveling from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the other had been going from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury when they collided near the village of Llanbrynmair, the BBC reported. The cause of the train crash is still under investigation, police said.
“British Transport Police are working at pace, along with our colleagues in emergency services and the rail industry, to understand the circumstances leading up to this collision,” the BTP said in a statement. “Residents will see an increased policing presence in the area in the coming days as a result.”
Anthony Hurford, who had been a passenger on the train heading to Aberystwyth, told BBC that he was “shellshocked” by the incident, which he also described as “brutal.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.”[We were] just going from, I don’t know how fast we were going, maybe 40, 50, 60 miles an hour, to nothing in the blink of an eye,” he recalled to the outlet.
“Somehow my body bent the leg of a table and ripped it off its bolts attached to the wall,” he continued. “Suddenly, I was on the floor with my laptop strewn ahead of me, wondering what the hell had happened.”
He claimed to the outlet that he witnessed the driver of the other train try to “stop at the lights” since there was a “passing place” at the top of the hill, but “for whatever reason the train wouldn’t stop.” Another witness, Ifan Edwards, told BBC that “from what we can gather” the train’s driver “just slid and he couldn’t stop the train.”
Transport for Wales’ Chief Operating Officer Jan Chaudhry van der Velde confirmed, per BBC, that the collision occurred at one of the track’s “passing loops” and said that a report on the incident could take several months.
The track has been closed as the investigation continues, per the outlet.
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