At least six people died when an Amtrak train went off the rails over a bridge near Tacoma, Wash., Monday, and the death count will probably rise, the Associate Press reports.
The high-speed passenger train was making its inaugural trip on a new track when it derailed before 8 a.m. local time, blocking traffic on Interstate 5 and halting rail travel.
There were approximately 78 passengers on board the train and five crew members, Amtrak said in a statement. “Initial reports are that some injuries are reported to passengers and crew, and taken to local medical facilities for treatment,” the statement said.
The new track for the 501 line between Portland and Seattle was created to bypass curves for which passenger trains had to slow down, and also avoids “singletrack tunnels” on the BNSF Railway, according to Amtrak.
Aerial photos of the crash show several train cars left the track, and while there were injuries on the ground, officials said no one on the road had been killed.
PHOTO: Our first overhead look from AIR4 of the Amtrak train derailment in Pierce County. #KOMONews pic.twitter.com/9jbi0d8vye
— Steve McCarron KOMO (@SteveTVNews) December 18, 2017
The Pierce County Sheriff’s office said that “injuries and causalities” had been reported, and tweeted there were “Multiple motorists injured on roadway, no fatalities of motorists reported.” Sheriff’s office spokesman Ed Troyer said there were “multiple fatalities” in the crash.
President Donald Trump tweeted that the crash “shows more than ever why our soon to be submitted infrastructure plan must be approved quickly,” before tweeting that he is praying for those involved in the accident and thanking the first responders.
My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in the train accident in DuPont, Washington. Thank you to all of our wonderful First Responders who are on the scene. We are currently monitoring here at the White House.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2017
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