On April 8, 1953, rescuers freed commuters trapped in a London Underground tunnel after two trains collided during the evening rush hour. Nine people died and many others were injured.
Nurses from Queen Mary's Hospital and Whipps Cross Hospital responded, caring for the injured and assisting surgeons as the London Fire Brigade and others burrowed through the Central Line wreckage between Statford and Leyton.
"It's just a shamble down there," said a London fireman quoted by the press. "We have to cut our way through every inch."
A news report from the scene said: "Heavy jacking equipment was taken into the tunnel to raise shattered coaches. A ceaseless procession of nurses carried surgical instruments, bandages, splints and other medical supplies."
St. John Ambulance also responded.
Investigators determined a signal failure led to the tube mishap.
