Prescott pledges crash report in days

Tony Blair expressed 'profound distress' over the crash

John Prescott has pledged to publish an interim report into the Selby train crash "within days".

The deputy prime minister has asked the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to provide him with a report as soon as possible.

It is hard to know how to express how everyone feels

Bernard Jenkin

In a special evening statement to the Commons after returning from the crash scene, Mr Prescott described the accident as "tragic and horrific" and one which defied belief.

He told MPs the crash, on Wednesday morning, had claimed 13 lives and left 75 people injured.

Sympathy

MPs from all sides expressed their sympathy and condolences with those who lost loved ones in the crash, in what was a very sombre House of Commons.

Mr Prescott, whose Whitehall department includes transport, praised the performance of emergency workers, medical staff and the Selby community in the aftermath of the crash.

"I have asked the HSE to provide me with an interim report in a few days and I will then decide what further steps are taken."

He added: "It is essential that this tragedy is subject to the fullest inquiry."

Shadow transport secretary Bernard Jenkin said: "It is hard to know how to express how everyone feels."

He backed Mr Prescott's plans to get all the information possible concerning the crash.

"Everyone can accept that accidents happen but we need to have a full inquiry to see if the risk of an accident of this nature happening again are unacceptably high," he said.

'Profound distress'

Mr Prescott's statement was repeated in the Lords by Transport Minister Lord Macdonald.

Peers expressed shock and sympathy with the relatives of those who had lost their lives or were seriously injured.

Lord Macdonald said it was "too early to say" when the railway line at Selby would reopen.

'Profound distress'

Earlier, Prime Minister Tony Blair told MPs of his "profound distress at the terrible tragedy".

Mr Blair promised the "fullest possible inquiry" into the circumstances of what he called a "quite horrendous accident".

He praised local villagers for the "extraordinary, neighbourly, exemplary" way in which they rushed to help the injured.

"It is remarkable how, in Britain, local communities in times of crisis like this pull together and do the very best for other people."

Conservative leader William Hague told MPs that the Selby crash was "a tragic accident which unites the nation in deep sorrow".

"Our thoughts go out to those who were injured and the families of those killed".

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy also offered his "sympathy and condolences" to the victims of the crash.