At least three people were killed Monday after an Amtrak train hit a dump truck and derailed in Missouri, officials said. It is not yet clear how many were injured, but at least two hospitals said they had admitted patients.
Authorities said Southwest Chief Train 4, which carries 275 passengers and 12 crew members from Los Angeles to Chicago, crashed into a truck near Mendon, Missouri, at approximately 12:43 p.m. local time. A Missouri State Patrol officer said the crossing was “uncontrolled” and had no lights or crossing rails, which is common in more rural areas.
Seven of the train’s eight cars derailed, Missouri State Highway Patrol Corporal Justin Dunn told a news conference.
Two of the victims were on the train and the other was in the truck, Dunn said. It is not clear whether the victims of the train were passengers or crew members. All passengers were transported from the scene, Dunn said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a 16-member team to investigate the incident.
Transport Minister Pete Butigig tweeted that he was “saddened by the tragic loss of life and injuries”, adding that his team was working with Amtrak and the authorities to provide support.
Amtrak said Monday night it was “deeply saddened” to learn of the deaths, adding that it was cooperating with local authorities.
Photo of the derailed Amtrak train in Missouri. Ron Gule
A passenger on the train, Ron Gulet, told CBS News that he was watching the sideways movement from the train window when he felt the impact.
“The car rocked forward and then in no time, in this slow-motion situation, the car turned sideways,” Gule said. “People were flying in all directions. Luggage. People. It was awful.”
Gule said he left the train through windows facing the sky after the car overturned.
“It was just a surreal situation,” he said.
Two American Boy Scouts, a total of 16 scouts and eight adults, were on the train returning from a shelter in the New Mexico desert, according to a spokesman for the organization. They all suffered minor injuries and two leaders were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, the spokesman said.
A 15-year-old spy found the driver of the dump truck, who was hit, and assisted while the driver died, the spokesman said.
Mendon is about two hours northeast of Kansas City. The University of Missouri Health Care, a hospital in Columbia, Missouri, said it cares for 16 patients from derailment. University of Kansas City Health, a Level 1 trauma center that can deal with serious injuries, said it received a man who was transported by helicopter.
Photos and videos appear to show multiple cars facing sideways with passengers seated on top, and another video shows passengers comforting each other from inside a reversed train car.
UNDERSTANDING Ка: Footage shows the consequences of the derailment of the train in Missouri, USA
♦ ️The #Amtrak train derailed after hitting a dump truck near Mendon in downtown Missouri. pic.twitter.com/bstZvdkHxK
– Zaid Ahmd (@realzaidzayn) June 27, 2022
Congressman Sam Graves, who represents Mendon, said he was “closely monitoring” the derailment.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he was “saddened to hear about the derailment, adding that the Missouri Department of Public Safety, Missouri State Road Patrols and other emergency management personnel are responding.”
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