Passengers stuck on broken-down train ‘like an oven' on hottest day of the year
Passengers were forced to walk along a railway track in sizzling heat after they claimed they were being 'slow-cooked' inside a broken-down train carriage.
British Transport Police freed dozens of Thameslink passengers after the train between London Blackfriars and Herne Hill broke down on Saturday.
Temperatures soared to nearly 34C in some parts of the UK, making it the country's hottest day of the year so far.
An enraged passenger said on social media: 'We have been stuck on this hot and humid train for over an hour. It is like an oven in here and we are being slow-cooked.'
Passenger Clare added: 'We are stuck on this train, all boiling alive. No air con. Please can you get this train moving.'
Another issued a plea for help, asking Thameslink when it would rescue people stuck inside the sweltering carriages with 'no AC'.
Thameslink said the train broke down near Loughborough Junction due to a 'fault', which causes services across the network to undergo 'significant disruption'.
A spokesperson said: 'Earlier today, a fault on a train near Loughborough Junction brought all services to a halt in the area, three of them outside station platforms.
'Without power and air conditioning on such a hot day, we pulled all resources from across Sussex and Kent to get personnel on site to safely evacuate passengers as quickly as possible along the track.
'This would have been a difficult and uncomfortable experience for our passengers and we are truly sorry. The safest place was to remain on the trains while we worked our hardest to get help to those on board.'
An amber heat-health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the first time since September 2023, for all regions in England remains in place over the weekend.
The agency warned that significant impacts are likely across health and social care services, including an increase in demand, during the alert period.
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London research warned that around 570 people could die due to the heat over the four days.
The excess deaths were estimated to peak at 266 on Saturday when the heat will be at its most intense. London was predicted to have the greatest number of excess deaths at 129.
The researchers said their assessment highlights how extreme heat poses a growing threat to public health in the UK.
Many charities have also issued warnings as the hotter weather continues this week. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is encouraging people with heart conditions to take precautions to minimise potential health risks during a heatwave.
Age UK has urged people to check in on older relatives, friends, and neighbours to see if they need anything and to make sure they are not feeling overwhelmed by the excessive heat.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has warned Britons that a tornado could hit as severe thunderstorms are set to strike the UK within hours.
The forecaster warned parts of the country 'could start to see tornado activity' later on Saturday as a yellow thunderstorm weather warning comes into force.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
44 minutes ago
- Times
I know my public sector pension is great, but I can't afford it
M ohamed Habad has a workplace pension that millions of workers can only dream of. As a foundation doctor at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, he was automatically enrolled in the NHS pension scheme. He was contributing 9.8 per cent of his salary and his employer was paying in an enormous 23.7 per cent. So why has he opted out of this generous savings scheme — along with many more of his NHS colleagues? Habad, 28, graduated from medical school last summer but it could be nine years until he completes his training to become an orthopaedic surgeon. He pays £800 a month to rent his room in hospital accommodation, £600 to help his family cover his empty room in their London council flat, about £300 a month on groceries and £200 on gas and electricity.
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Prince William 'is no longer angry at Prince Harry's outbursts at the Royal Family and doesn't talk about his brother at all anymore', source claims
Prince William now feels 'indifference' towards Prince Harry 's outbursts and no longer talks about his brother, a source has claimed. Speaking to the Sunday Times, a friend of the Prince of Wales said he no longer cares what his brother says about the Royal family to the public. 'What has struck me the most recently is that he just doesn't mention it at all,' the source claimed. 'It used to be that the family stuff was taking up a lot of space in his head, it was a very close relationship and he was very upset. 'But he's not letting it get to him at all any more. It is a change. It's sad, but it's a much healthier space for him to be at.' The two brothers have barely spoken to each other since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the UK for the US and abandoned royal duties. The rift was exacerbated by the publication of Harry's memoir Spare that levelled accusations against his family. Harry claimed that William, 42, branded Meghan 'difficult', 'rude' and 'abrasive', and even accused him of pushing him into a dog bowl. The two brothers have barely spoken to each other since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the UK for the US and abandoned royal duties The last time the warring brothers were publicly seen together was at the funeral for their uncle Robert Fellowes. The youngest brother also reached out to William after his wife Kate Middleton's shock cancer diagnosis. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were understood to have made contact with the Prince and Princess of Wales 'privately'. It was also claimed in the United States that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex only learnt about Kate's condition at the same time the world heard the news. Sources told the New York Post that the couple had 'no idea' about Kate's illness. Hours after the news, the couple released a short statement wishing the Princess of Wales and her family 'health and healing'. The couple said they hoped Kate and her family would be 'able to do so privately and in peace'. Most recently, Prince Harry gave a bombshell BBC interview where he revealed that the King 'won't speak to me because of this security stuff.' Harry spoke to the BBC in Santa Barbara, California, after he lost a court of appeal over his and his family's security arrangements on May 2. The father-of-two commented on his troubled relationship with Charles, saying that he doesn't know 'how much longer' there was left for his father, who is battling cancer. 'Life is precious,' he said. 'I don't know how much longer my father has, he won't speak to me because of this security stuff. It would be nice to reconcile.' William's most recent milestone has been his 43rd birthday and tributes were posted by his father and wife, Kate Middleton. Charles shared a believed-to-be unseen image of the heir - as well as a sweet message - via the Royal Family's official X (formerly Twitter) account. In the casual snap, the Prince of Wales is seen looking pensive as he sits outside in a field of grass in a rural setting. Dressed in a button down pale blue shirt, as well as navy slacks, the royal's informal look is further enhanced with his light beard. The image was accompanied by a simple caption which read: 'Happy Birthday to The Prince of Wales!'. The photo shared by the Royal Family on Saturday was accompanied by a simple caption wishing William a happy birthday Many royal watchers took to the message to share their own well-wishes with the future king. One wrote: 'Happy birthday to our handsome and loyal Prince. Well done, your Majesty!' Another added: 'Happy 43rd Birthday to HRH The Prince of Wales! Your dedication to service and family is truly inspiring. Wishing you a joyful day surrounded by loved ones!' 'Happy Birthday, William, The Prince of Wales,' said another social media user, keeping it short and sweet. Kate also shared a snap and short written message. The adorable image posted by Kate via the Wales' Kensington Royal social media account shows the heir sitting in a field, while playing with a group of small puppies, whose mother is believed to be Orla, the Wales' family dog. In the image, the father-of-three is dressed casually, wearing jeans paired with a long-sleeved green button down shirt, as the puppies crawl over him sweetly. The photograph is accompanied by a caption from the Princess of Wales and other members of their family. It says: 'Happy birthday! Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies!' The Prince of Wales has enjoyed a busy week in the lead-up to his birthday after last weekend's Trooping The Colour and joining the Royal Ascot carriage procession on Wednesday.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Nigel Farage becomes latest MP to cast doubt over Lucy Letby murder conviction
Nigel Farage has added his voice to growing concerns about the safety of Lucy Letby 's murder convictions, saying that he is 'getting more and more doubts'. The Reform UK leader was responding to a powerful article in the Daily Mail by Sir Jeremy Hunt, who was Health Secretary when the babies died at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Sir Jeremy called for an urgent re-examination of the case, saying: 'If Letby really did kill seven babies in their cots and attempted to kill seven more, no punishment short of the death penalty is too harsh. 'But if they were caused by professional shortcomings, we need to know why. 'More than anything else, we need to make sure other families don't have to go through the same tragedy.' He added he had noted the findings of the international panel of paediatric specialists and neonatologists, and had also read a 'wide range of expert concerns about the conduct of the criminal case'. Sir Jeremy said: 'Taken together... this analysis raises serious and credible questions about the evidence presented in court, the robustness of expert testimony and the interpretation of statistical data.' Mr Farage told GB News: 'I'm just beginning to get more and more doubts about that issue.' Since Letby lost her appeal last year a mass of evidence undermining the prosecution's case has been gathered by her new legal team. It has raised questions about the claim the nurse was on duty for every suspicious incident and over the testimony of Dr Dewi Evans, 75, the prosecution's chief expert witness. The Criminal Cases Review Commission, which deals with potential miscarriages of justice, is studying the new material, which includes evidence that Dr Evans changed his mind over how three babies died.
