Nine people died as a result of the blast and 16 people – all factory staff - were seriously injured. Firefighters and rescue experts at the scene searched through the rubble for four days in search of survivors.

Following the explosion, Red Cross volunteers and staff were on-site within half an hour. Besides the confirmed fatalities, many people were still trapped and rescuers worked ceaselessly to find survivors beneath the rubble.

Volunteer Margaret Gray arrived at the hastily set-up reception centre to find over 80 people sitting around in small groups.

It was very, very quiet,” she recalls. “Tension cut the air. People were just sitting in disbelief,  waiting for news. There were all ages there – mothers, fathers, elderly people, children, even an eight-month-old baby.

In the immediate aftermath of the accident, volunteers were kept very busy dealing with minor wounds, setting up the first aid room and comforting shocked relatives and friends.

“I found that people mostly just wanted to sit for a minute and chat,” said Margaret. "We gave them the opportunity to relieve their tension. Several people said they felt reassured that the Red Cross was there."

Also, because I’m a bit older, people found it easier to approach me and get a reassuring hug or a kind word.”

“We did shifts, which meant we had a chance to recharge our batteries,” Margaret said. “Being at the site was very emotionally draining – I was exhausted by the time I got home.”

But Margaret was glad that she was able to be there helping people during the days following the accident and in spite of the tragedy could even find uplifting moments.

“One night, a couple of policemen visited the first aid room for a cup of tea and a rest – they were pretty drained. And one of them remarked that, while he always saw the Red Cross at public events, he hadn’t really stopped to think before about why they were there, nor appreciate all the good work they do. Well, I don’t think he’ll make that mistake again.”

The attack on the Hope hostel – which offers accommodation to single parents, asylum seekers and vulnerable young people – occurred in the middle of the night. The fire spread so quickly that first floor residents were forced to throw mattresses from their windows and jump after them.

The volunteers arrived to find over 30 people, including young children, mostly wearing nightclothes. They got to work immediately.

They handed out clothing and blankets, provided hot drinks and food, gave out toilet packs, and offered phone use and shelter in the fire victim support vehicle.

As an extra precaution, a nearby Red Cross centre and extra volunteers were put on standby in case they were needed.

“This was a particularly vulnerable group, homeless and with little money, and they were genuinely grateful that we were able to offer them support on the night and help with clothing afterwards.”

British Red Cross volunteer Paula Broom was finishing dinner at home.

“We got the call that there had been a major incident,” says Paula“ All we knew at that stage was that it involved a train and there was at least one fatality”

As it turned out, six passengers and the driver had died when the train’s two diesel engines and eight coaches derailed; 11 others were seriously hurt and many more had suffered minor injuries. 

A piece of providence for the Red Cross was the fact that so many volunteers were out on duty that night at fireworks events, allowing people to get to the scene quickly. A total of 32 volunteers and staff were active that night and two Red Cross frontline ambulances were used.

“The Fire Service sees us as there to do what they can’t do,” says Chris Beck, British Red Cross Operations Director for the Thames Valley area “This is work that they are too busy to cope with,” says Chris.

Trisha Earp, Thames Valley FVS Coordinator, who was herself at the scene in Berkshire, regularly receives expressions of deep thanks from victims. “They are just so grateful to have somewhere to sit, gather their thoughts and get some practical support,” she says.

The Thames Valley FVS unit was the first to be set up within the British Red Cross, and was established to capitalize on skills and experience gained following the Lockerbie air crash in 1988 and the preparations for the first Gulf War in late 1990.

Thames Valley volunteers were asked to meet and befriend relatives of the victims of Lockerbie who had flown into Heathrow, having been seen off by colleagues in the American Red Cross.

Today, FVS in the Thames Valley is called out about 150 times a year, assisting about 450 people.  The vast body of expertise gained over the years is used and developed again and again.