Kegworth air disaster remembered 30 years on

An aerial view of the wreckage of a British Midlands Boeing 737 Credit: Michael Stephens/PA

A memorial service is to be held to remember the 47 people who died in the Kegworth air disaster 30 years on.

A Belfast-bound British Midland Boeing 737 crashed on an embankment of the M1 at Kegworth after suffering engine trouble on the night of January 8 1989.

As well as the 47 deaths, the crash resulted in 74 serious injuries, with Kegworth villagers joining emergency services to help tend the wounded.

The parish council will host a service at St Andrew’s Church at 11am.

Survivors, the families of those who died as well as emergency service personnel who tended to the casualties have been invited.

The plane developed a problem with one of the engines as it was en route from Heathrow to Belfast with 126 people on board.

The tail section of the plane wreck on the M1 embankment Credit: PA

The flight was diverted to East Midlands Airport, and it later transpired that when the trouble occurred the pilots had shut down the wrong engine.

Crashing on to the M1, the plane somehow managed to avoid hitting any vehicles and no-one on the motorway was hurt.