An Amtrak train crashed into a freight train in South Carolina early Sunday morning, killing at least 2 people and leaving at least 70 other injured, officials said.
The fatalities were passengers on the Amtrak train, according to the Lexington County, S.C., coroner.
Amtrak said in a statement early Sunday that “Amtrak Train 91, operating between New York and Miami, came in contact with a CSX freight train at around 2:35 am in Cayce, South Carolina.”
“The lead engine derailed, as well as some passenger cars,”the statement contined. “There were 8 crew members and approximately 139 passengers, with injuries reported. Local authorities are on the scene responding. More information will be provided as available.”
LexCo emergency officials on scene of train collision & derailment near Charleston Hwy and Pine Ridge Rd. Media staging to be held at @SCEMD parking lot. pic.twitter.com/NYggZK1P29
— @CountyofLexington (@CountyLex) February 4, 2018
The crash, which reportedly caused a derailment of both trains, is the latest deadly accident involving Amtrak in recent months.
In December, an Amtrak train derailed in Washington state and smashed through an overpass onto Interstate 5, killing three people and injuring dozens. Last week, an Amtrak train carrying Republican members of Congress to a retreat in West Virginia hit a garbage truck in Virginia, killing one of three occupants in the vehicle.
State and local authorities have not commented on the cause of the crash on Sunday. The National Transportation Safety Board said it has dispatched a “Go Team” to investigate the collision.
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