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Photos: BBC, Metropolitan Police
Thirty-one people died when two commuter trains collided in a fiery wreck on Oct. 5, 1999 near London's Paddington rail station. Dozens of people sustained injuries.
Passenger cars burst into flames - and the plume of smoke was visible across London.
Investigators determined one of trains ran a stop signal.
Passenger Mark Rogers told on the BBC: "There was an almighty crash and the train rolled over and over, first onto its roof and then onto its side."
The London Fire Brigade Museum's website recounted the tragedy:
"An emergency call was made at 0810am and crews from North Kensington fire station arrived minutes later.
"Station Officer Hodson reportedly saw a `large mushroom cloud of smoke rising 150-200m into the air' and further fire engines were requested at 0815am.
"Crews initially faced difficulty in gaining access to the accident site because of a delay in opening a security gate.
"Several firefighters scaled the gate and began laying hose to quickly extinguish the fire.
"After securing the derailed carriages, firefighters began rescuing passengers from the wreckage but found many of the trapped passengers hampered by the dangers posed by the suspended roof of the train and the fraying of the overhead electric lines."
The Paddington wreck - also known as the Ladbroke Grove disaster - occurred on the same stretch on rail line where seven people died in a 1997 accident.
