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 | | Sunday, 19 May, 2002, 20:06 GMT 21:06 UK Service for train crash victims  About 700 people attended the "sombre" service The victims of the Potters Bar rail crash have been remembered at a special church service in the town. Relatives of the dead and some survivors were among the congregation on Sunday evening. Railtrack chief executive John Armitt was also among the estimated 700 people attending, as was the Chief Constable of Hertfordshire Police Paul Acres, local MP James Clappison, and hundreds of residents of Potters Bar. In his address the Bishop of St Albans said: "We are deeply aware of the sorrow and heartbreak of the bereaved, the shock of the witnesses to the terrible accident, and the pain and anguish of the injured." He said people involved in the crash, including the emergency services, have been in their "own hells" and will "carry the emptiness and trauma of those hells with them". Packed The service was held at St Mary the Virgin and All Saints Church at 1800 BST. Peter Crumpler, a spokesman for the Diocese of St Albans, said: "The church was absolutely packed and extra chairs were put out." He said the service was relayed by loudspeaker to those outside who could not get in. He estimated that about 90 relatives in total, of five of the victims, had attended the "sombre" service.
Candles were lit in memory of the seven people who died on May 10 when the 1245 BST King's Cross train derailed at 100 mph, sending the last carriage up onto Potters Bar station platform. Prayers were also said for the 70 people injured in the crash. Tributes were paid to members of the emergency services. Relatives talk The Bishop said it was vital that the truth about the cause of the accident should be discovered. He added that British society was in danger of forgetting spiritual values and becoming "frantic, manic and unbearable". "Most people are working too hard, too fast, too long, under too much pressure - the spirit of peace is not getting a look in. "It would be a real comfort if out of this tragedy at Potters Bar a new spirit could emerge in our nation.
A police spokeswoman said friends and relatives attended the service of five victims: Austen Kark, 75, of north London; Agnes Quinlivan, 80, of Potters Bar; Emma Knights, 29, from Cambridgeshire; and Alexander Ogonwusi, 42, of south west London and Chia-Hsin Lin, 30, from Taiwan. The spokeswoman said: "The families and friends who were there went into a separate room after the service so they were able to talk. "Quite a few of them had requested this." On Sunday, Railtrack announced Potters Bar station will reopen on Monday with a restricted service. Full services are expected to be resumed on Tuesday. | |
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