Authorities have confirmed that 3 people were killed and 6 injured in Wednesday's train derailment near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
ADVERTISEMENTBritish police have confirmed that three people were killed when a passenger train derailed on Wednesday morning in eastern Scotland.
The dead include the train driver, British Transport Police said in a statement, while six people were taken to hospital with injuries that were not thought to be serious.
The derailment happened in a rural area near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire and followed a period of stormy weather which brought torrential rain and floods, some landslides and travel disruption.
Earlier in the day, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. relayed reports of "serious injuries" after the derailment.
Speaking in parliament, the Scottish leader said a "major incident" had been since been declared as she sent her best wishes to everyone involved.
"Of most urgent concern is the serious incident on the rail line west of Stonehaven, where a ScotRail derailed earlier this morning," she said.
"The emergency services are currently on site and a major incident has been declared [...]
"Although details are still emerging, I am afraid to say there are early reports of serious injuries."
Plumes of smoke
The train, travelling on the Dundee-Aberdeen line, came off the tracks just before 10 a.m on Wednesday morning, according to the British Transport Police (BTP).
It was the 6.38 a.m. service from Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street, according to the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA).
Pictures captured close to the scene showed plumes of smoke billowing from the area just outside Carmont rail station.
At least six ambulances and an air ambulance could also be seen in attendance.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the government would provide "every support", adding that his thoughts were with those involved and their families.
He added that a team from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) was on its way to the scene.
Stormy weather
The incident comes as Aberdeenshire awoke on Wednesday morning to severe flash flooding in parts of the area, following a night of stormy weather.
Network Rail had earlier tweeted footage of a landslip and flooding on the Dundee-Aberdeen line near Carmont, which showed water running off an embankment and under a bridge.
There were no immediate reports on what could have caused the incident; however, the TSSA added in it's statement: "Our union has had concerns about the amount of hours that some of our members who maintain this bit of rail infrastructure have been doing.
"However, it's far too early to speculate whether this may have been a contributing factor to this morning's incident."