At least three people died and dozens were injured after an Amtrak train on the inaugural run of a new route derailed in Washington state Monday morning, with part of the train careening off an overpass onto a heavily trafficked highway below, a local official said.
None of the deaths were among those who were on the roadway of Interstate 5 when the train cars fell, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. However, several motorists on the highway near Dupont, about 20 miles south of Tacoma, were injured when their vehicles were struck by the derailed train.
The crash left train cars scattered in the surrounding woods and dangling off the overpass, and passengers "catapulted" into the seats in front of them, according to a survivor. All but one of the train's 14 cars jumped the tracks, said Washington State Police spokeswoman Trooper Brooke Bova. Five cars and two semis on the interstate were impacted by the crash, Bova said.
Eighty passengers, five crew members and one technician were on board the train, according to officials.
In the wake of the derailment at about 7:37 a.m. local time, dozens of motorists sprang into action, jumping out of their cars to help, a witness told ABC affiliate KOMO-TV. One described a gut-wrenching scene of Good Samaritans trying to do all they could do to comfort those who were pinned under the train.
In addition to those who died, more than 90 people were taken to hospitals, including 10 who were treated for serious injuries, officials said.
By about 4 p.m. local time, all of the train cars had been searched for passengers.
In his first tweet on the derailment, President Donald Trump said the crash demonstrates the need for quick action on infrastructure, but made no mention of the victims. Several minutes later, he extended his "thoughts and prayers" to those affected by the crash, sentiments he repeated in his national security speech.
None of the deaths were among those who were on the roadway of Interstate 5 when the train cars fell, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. However, several motorists on the highway near Dupont, about 20 miles south of Tacoma, were injured when their vehicles were struck by the derailed train.
The crash left train cars scattered in the surrounding woods and dangling off the overpass, and passengers "catapulted" into the seats in front of them, according to a survivor. All but one of the train's 14 cars jumped the tracks, said Washington State Police spokeswoman Trooper Brooke Bova. Five cars and two semis on the interstate were impacted by the crash, Bova said.
Eighty passengers, five crew members and one technician were on board the train, according to officials.
In the wake of the derailment at about 7:37 a.m. local time, dozens of motorists sprang into action, jumping out of their cars to help, a witness told ABC affiliate KOMO-TV. One described a gut-wrenching scene of Good Samaritans trying to do all they could do to comfort those who were pinned under the train.
In addition to those who died, more than 90 people were taken to hospitals, including 10 who were treated for serious injuries, officials said.
By about 4 p.m. local time, all of the train cars had been searched for passengers.
In his first tweet on the derailment, President Donald Trump said the crash demonstrates the need for quick action on infrastructure, but made no mention of the victims. Several minutes later, he extended his "thoughts and prayers" to those affected by the crash, sentiments he repeated in his national security speech.
The derailed train was the first to carry paying customers on a new route for Amtrak. This track had carried freight trains, but was recently upgraded to carry passengers. In a press release last week, Amtrak said using this route would allow for two more daily round-trips between Seattle and Portland and help trains avoid traveling around tight corners and tunnels. Washington state's Department of Transportation said "today was the first day of public use of the tracks after weeks of inspection and testing."The train accident that just occurred in DuPont, WA shows more than ever why our soon to be submitted infrastructure plan must be approved quickly. Seven trillion dollars spent in the Middle East while our roads, bridges, tunnels, railways (and more) crumble! Not for long!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2017
The cause of the incident was not immediately known, with Amtrak spokesperson saying late Monday he would not speculate. Officials said the speed limit for the curve where the train derailed was 30 mph, but it was unclear exactly how fast the train was traveling at the time. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is expected to have its full crew on scene Tuesday to begin investigating a cause.
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