A number of people were killed and scores more injured south of Seattle on Monday when an early-morning Amtrak train traveling on a new route on its first day derailed while crossing a bridge above a busy highway, authorities said.
At least two cars tumbled onto Interstate 5 and several more dangled over the highway.
The Associated Press reported the derailment killed at least six people, citing an anonymous U.S. official who was briefed on the investigation. Local officials haven’t confirmed the death toll.
Chris Karnes, a passenger, said the train was approaching a curve before it came off the tracks.
“It seemed like we were reaching sort of a bend in the tracks and all of a sudden we were slammed into the seats in front of us,” he told CBS News. “And then the car careened down an embankment and came to a stop. After that happened we could hear and feel the cars crumpling and breaking apart.”
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Karnes, who was in a car toward the front of the train, said he and other passengers had to kick out a window to get out. Passengers had visible injuries — “cuts, people bleeding,” he said. “I did see one person who was laying on the ground and not moving.”
He said military police, firefighters and medics flooded the scene. In his rail car, he said the passenger load was “relatively light.” But authorities said some of the cars derailed in the woods and rescuers were using chain saws to get to passengers.
The cause of the derailment was unclear, but the train was entering a curve as it made its way south from Seattle to Portland. Though the train had been tested on the track, owned by Seattle’s SoundTransit system, Monday’s run was the first time it made the trip with a full load of 78 passengers and their baggage.
In a tweet, President Trump said, “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.”
Our deepest sympathies and most heartfelt prayers are with the victims of the train derailment in Washington State. We are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with local authorities… pic.twitter.com/Gyf5BdVm4G
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2017
While the cause of the crash was far from certain, a 2015 fatal Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia was caused when the engineer sent it into a curve at twice the speed limit.
The engine of the train apparently stayed on the tracks, but at least two cars crashed to the highway below. Another car was left dangling from the bridge with the lower end thrust into the roof of another train car.
Those who died were believed to be on the train and not on the highway. Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, said the highway will be closed for a long period, calling it a “pretty horrific” crash.
