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Bitterness and rage at Potters Bar ceremony

Simon O'Hagan
Saturday 10 May 2003 19:00 EDT
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The first anniversary of the Potters Bar train crash was marked by bitterness and recrimination yesterday as survivors and relatives of the seven people who died gathered at the station in the small Hertfordshire town for a commemorative ceremony.

The first anniversary of the Potters Bar train crash was marked by bitterness and recrimination yesterday as survivors and relatives of the seven people who died gathered at the station in the small Hertfordshire town for a commemorative ceremony.

Services were held, flowers laid and a memorial sculpture unveiled. But the lack of a public inquiry and the continuing refusal of any authority to admit liability for the crash meant there was still no closure for those grieving for friends and relatives. To date, no survivor or relative of a victim has received a penny in compensation.

The families of two foreign victims of the crash – Taiwanese TV journalist Wu Chia-ching, 32, and her compatriot Lin Chia-hsin, 29 – accused Britain of failing to respect human rights and social justice.

The mother of Wu wept as she read out a statement in Chinese on behalf of both families. Lamenting the lack of an explanation for the points failure which caused the derailment, she said: "We thought Britain was a cultured, civilised and democratic country where human rights were fully respected and social justice upheld. We have been proved wrong. It has been a year within which no clear or definite answers have been made public. We have to ask ourselves, is there something to hide?"

The statement went on: "We would like to ask the companies concerned, where is your conscience? Where is justice? Where are your professional ethics? You made our daughters die for no reason. How can you be so cruel? Our lives are now a nightmare. Our grieving and torment will never end."

Jarvis, the contractor which maintained the stretch of line involved, claimed at the time that the crash was caused by sabotage. A report from the Health and Safety Executive, which has been investigating the cause, is expected by the end of this month. Action by British Transport Police, who have been undertaking their own investigations, is dependent on that inquiry.

A West Anglia Great Northern train, heading north from King's Cross, left the track as it entered Potters Bar station and one of the carriages careered across a platform. Six people on board died, along with an 80-year-old woman, Agnes Quinlivan, who was hit by debris as she walked under a railway bridge. Seventy people were injured.

Mrs Quinlivan's family also issued a statement yesterday. It said: "It has been a painful year and we still find it difficult to accept the way she died. We share our loss and sadness today with the other families; such a tragic waste of so many loved and gifted people.

"The most fitting memorial would be a conclusion to this vigorous investigation, and its findings acted upon and learnt from. We need these answers to understand our loss and allow us to grieve privately, and be assured of a safer railway system."

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