There have been a number of deaths after an Amtrak train derailed on an overpass in Washington State, according to a spokesman for the local sheriff's office
The train derailed on a bridge over a major highway in DuPont, Washington - leaving it hanging over the Interstate 5. and blocking all southbound lanes.
The Pierce County Sheriff's Department said it had reports of both injuries and casualties. Among the injured were motorists who had been struck by the derailed cars, none of whom were killed.
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Washington Gov Jay Inslee offered a message of support to first responders and urged commuters to avoid the area.
“This is an ongoing and serious situation,” Mr Inslee said on Twitter.
In an image shared by the Washington State Department of Transportation, a train car can be seen hanging off of the tracks and protruding into the highway. The agency noted that all southbound lanes were blocked and urged commuters to avoid the area.
DuPont, Washington (CNN) At least three people were killed and more than 100 injured when an Amtrak passenger train derailed in Washington state, DuPont Fire Chief Larry Creekmore said Monday night.
The Amtrak Cascades 501 was making its first trip on a new service route when the train ran off the track near DuPont, spilling 13 cars off an Interstate 5 overpass onto rush hour traffic below, authorities said.
All the deaths were contained to the train, said Ed Troyer, the Pierce County Sheriff's Office spokesman.
Aerial images show the train sprawled across the track and highway on Monday.
Latest developments:
-- More than 100 were transported to hospitals in Pierce and Thurston counties, Creekmore said. Four of them suffered serious injuries, said Cary Evans, spokesman for CHI Franciscan Health.
-- Amtrak President & Co-CEO Richard Anderson said "Positive Train Control" was not activated on the tracks when the derailment happened. PTC is a technology that automatically slows down, and eventually stops, a train if it senses it is going too fast.
-- Thirteen cars jumped the track. The train had 14 cars, including two engines, said Brook Bova of the Washington State Patrol.
-- A passenger on the train says his car derailed and everyone "catapulted" into the seat in front of them.
-- The National Transportation Safety Board sent a 20-member team to investigate.
-- Photos from the scene show at least one train car on the road, with another dangling over it.
LIVE Amtrak train derails
Injured taken to hospitals
The crash happened about 7:40 a.m. in DuPont, about 20 miles south of Tacoma, near the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Apparently, the train came out of a curve and ran off the track while crossing or approaching an open trestle over I-5. The following rail cars derailed in a jumble on both sides of the track, with some falling to the highway and landing on vehicles and one rail car dangling precariously over the highway.
Several motorists in vehicles that were struck by the fallen train cars suffered injuries, but there were no fatalities among people in those vehicles, the sheriff's office said. Five cars and two semi-trucks were involved in the crash, Bova said.
The southbound train was carrying 77 passengers and seven crew members, said Washington State Patrol spokeswoman Brooke Bova at a news conference. Monday was the first day of the Amtrak Cascades 501 service between Seattle and Portland, Amtrak said.
The NTSB and local authorities have not said what caused the crash, but questions were quickly raised about the train's speed as it hit a curve.
Most of the route was graded for a maximum speed of 79 mph; the speed limit on the curve where the crash occurred is 30 mph, said Rachelle Cunningham with Sound Transit. Cunningham said she did not know how fast the train was traveling when it derailed, and the NTSB has not released information about the speed.
Russ Quimby, a former NTSB safety investigator, and CNN analyst Mary Schiavo, former Department of Transportation inspector general, said an early look indicates speed might have been an issue.
In a conference call with reporters, Amtrak President and Co-CEO Richard Anderson said "Positive Train Control" was not activated on the tracks at the time of the derailment. Positive Train Control is a technology that automatically slows down, and eventually stops, a train if it senses the train is going too fast and could derail or get in an accident.
Anderson would not answer CNN's questions regarding the speed of the train or the crew's tenure at Amtrak.
The train was running on track previously used for occasional freight and military transport, the Washington Department of Transportation said in a news release. WDOT said the track had undergone millions of dollars of federally funded improvements and weeks of inspection and testing.
'We catapulted into the seats in front of us'
JUST WATCHED Hear the train conductor's 911 call Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Hear the train conductor's 911 call 00:56
Emergency radio transmissions between the train conductor and the dispatcher were frantic and dramatic:
Dispatcher: Hey guys, what happened?
AMTRAK 501: Uh, we were coming around the corner to take the bridge over I-5 there, right north into Nisqually and we went on the ground.
Dispatcher: ...Is everybody OK?
AMTRAK 501: I'm still figuring that out. We got cars everywhere and down onto the highway.
Chris Karnes, a passenger on the train, is chairman of the Pierce Transit Community Transportation Advisory Group. He said he boarded the train between Seattle and Tacoma and took a seat on the third or fourth car.
Karnes said the train was moving at a "pretty good pace" -- roughly 70 to 80 mph, judging from the fact the train was passing cars on the highway -- when it derailed.
"We felt a little bit of a jolt and then at a certain point we could hear crumpling of the train car, and we were catapulted into the seats in front of us," he said.
It appeared most of the passengers in Karnes' car fared well, with the exception of an elderly man who banged his head on the bulkhead, he said.
Karnes' car derailed -- only the rear locomotive remained on the tracks -- and passengers kicked out a window and climbed down an embankment to summon help, he said.
He did not know what caused the derailment but said the train had previously taken tighter curves at the same pace without any issues.
Motorist Danae Orlob said there was a semi and a crushed truck underneath the train cars.
"We came around the corner and it had to have just happened ... there were no police there yet. There was one link of the train off to one side and the other on the other side of the freeway. There were crushed cars underneath. There was an insane amount of fire trucks and ambulances heading towards us."
All southbound lanes of the interstate were closed due to the derailment, and the sight stunned motorists heading to work.
"I was traveling to work this morning along I-5 and we came to a sudden stop," Greg Mukai told CNN by phone. "We all tried to stop quickly to avoid running into each other, to be honest. Once we all came to a stop I was able to look up and see, unfortunately, this scary thing of ... a train hanging off of the overpass. Lots of military personnel and people ran to try to help the best they could."
All rail cars searched
Some of the Amtrak rail cars that derailed Monday in Washington State.
Hours after the early morning crash, first responders remained on site as the investigation was getting underway.
Lights and portable toilets were being moved to the scene and police were keeping a wide cordon from the crash site. News helicopters and remotely piloted drones circled over the crumpled wreckage.
West Pierce County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Jay Sumerlin said all the rail cars had been searched Monday night -- a precarious operation because of the position of the derailed train.
"It took a lot of extrication tools," he said. "They were using jaws of life, they were using air chisels, different forms of saws to be able to get into some of the cars to get access to people to get them out. Some of the rescues were done by ladders. It was just a difficult place to be."
Hazmat teams were still securing as much as 350 gallons of spilled diesel fuel, he said.
A makeshift emergency operations center was set up at a nearby Eagle Pride Golf Course, where the NTSB and other federal and state authorities were coordinating the recovery and investigation into the crash.
Only the rear unpowered locomotive, one of 14 cars on Amtrak Cascades 501, remained on the tracks, positioned on a sharp curve at the end of a straight path of track.
Aerial view of the jumbled rail cars in Washington State.
First day of new service route
According to an online schedule, the 501 train connects "18 cities along the I-5 corridor including Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, BC, and Eugene, Oregon."
The train service is jointly owned by the Washington and Oregon departments of transportation, although Amtrak contracts to operate the service for the two states.
Previously, the tracks where the derailment occurred were owned by BNSF and were used for occasional freight and military transport, said the Washington State Department of Transportation. The tracks are now owned by Sound Transit, which managed the track upgrade in preparation for commuter service, the release said.
Part of the train chassis sits stripped on the highway.
When asked if there were any known issues or blockages to the track, Kimberly Reason, a senior public information officer with Sound Transit, said, "We are working with the Joint Command Center on scene to receive information from the incident investigation; no cause has been reported at this juncture in the investigation."
Amtrak service south of Seattle was temporarily suspended. Service from Seattle to points north and east was continuing to operate, Amtrak said. Amtrak Cascades trains 504 and 509 were canceled, the Amtrak spokesperson said.
This aerial image from video provided by KOMO-TV shows the derailed train.
NTSB Vice Chairman Bella Dinh-Zarr said the first members of the investigative team were expected to arrive in Washington state on Monday afternoon.
President briefed on the accident
President Trump posted a tweet about what he called the country's crumbling infrastructure.
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 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!"
Ten minutes later, the President addressed the victims.
"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."
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
Washington state's congressional delegation also shared their condolences on Twitter.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency and asked motorists to avoid traveling on Interstate 5 while the Washington Department of Transportation works on alternate routes.
Update | 2:44 p.m. ET – Amtrak 501 was reportedly making its very first run on a “faster new route” when it may have struck something on the track before it derailed and killed at least six people, according to the Associated Press.
The National Transportation Safety Board wrote a report roughly a year ago that came to the conclusion that Amtrak “has a safety culture problem,” a former NTSB chair told CBS News Monday.
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Mark Rosenker’s comments came hours after the derailed in DuPont, Washington and train cars fell off an overpass onto Interstate-5, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
Update | 1:56 p.m. ET – President Donald said Monday’s Amtrak train derailment was an example of why his administration’s infrastructure plan needed to be “approved quickly.”
The president also offered his “thoughts and prayers to everyone involved,” and said the White House is “monitoring” the situation.
“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! ,” Trump said.
Trump also praised the first responders at the scene of the derailment that authorities said claimed multiple lives and many injuries.
Update | 1:34 p.m. ET – Amtrak 501, the passenger train that derailed in Washington state early Monday morning local time, was last recorded traveling 81.1 miles-per-hour before its accident.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency.
The train was traveling southbound from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, and seven cars derailed in the city of DuPont.
However, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation, the tracks where the train derailed were only supposed to support a maximum speed of 79 mph.
Local and state officials have reported multiple fatalities and injuries but have not announced exact numbers.
Update | 1:15 p.m. ET – President Donald Trump has been briefed about the derailment, according to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Trump and the White House had no immediate comment.
Update | 1 p.m. ET – The National Transportation Safety Board announced it is sending a team to investigate after an Amtrak derailed in Washington State, resulting in multiple fatalities. The train came off the tracks while making an inaugural journey on a new bypass.
NTSB is launching a go-team to investigate the Amtrak passenger train derailment in the State of Washington. Team will depart DC today. Additional information to follow when available. — NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) December 18, 2017
Update | 12:52 p.m. ET – Amtrak has released an updated statement after one of its trains derailed in Washington State. There were 78 passengers and five crew members onboard Train 501 when it derailed on a new stretch of track between Tacoma and Olympia during the morning rush hour. Those with friends and families on the train are encoaged to call (800) 523-9101 for more information.
Update | 12:40 p.m. ET – The Amtrak train which derailed outside of Olympia was making its inaugural journey on a new bypass between Olympia and Tacoma in Washington State.
This was what all the passengers received before the @Amtrak ride. On the very first day, the very first ride, the train derailed. pic.twitter.com/YLgtDwrHnH — Alex Rozier (@AlexRozierK5) December 18, 2017
Three people have been killed in the derailment, according to The Seattle Times. A spokesman for Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia said that the facility had received about 12 patients as of 9:25 a.m. local time.
“We’ve had three critical patients out of about a dozen that we’ve received so far,” Chris Thomas said.
Update | 12:30 p.m. ET – Multiple fatalities have been reported after an Amtrak train derailed outside of Olympia on Monday morning. An official said that there were "some fatalities and lots of injuries" as a result of the incident in Washington State. None of the people in cars struck by the train are said to have been killed.
“At 7:40 this morning the train derailed...There were some fatalities and there were a lot of injuries. And some people were able to get off the train,” official says of Amtrak derailment in Washington state https://t.co/2CyKkppdRE pic.twitter.com/aQhxZwnmcc — CBS News (@CBSNews) December 18, 2017
"Multiple cars and trucks were struck by train cars that left the train tracks and went down on to the road… Even though when you see the pictures it is pretty horrific, at this point, nobody in any of the vehicles is a fatal,” official says https://t.co/2CyKkppdRE pic.twitter.com/a0rSCIYaPL — CBS News (@CBSNews) December 18, 2017
Original Story
Local and state authorities expect fatalities and injuries after an Amtrak train derailed Monday morning over a major interstate outside of Olympia, Washington, at the peak of rush hour.
The derailment occurred in the city of DuPont, located about 20 miles east of Olympia.
At least one of Amtrak train 501’s cars appeared smashed and upside down on the interstate while another was hanging off an overpass above the highway, pictures posted by the Washington State Patrol showed.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department stated its preliminary findings indicated “injuries and casualties.”
Cars also were hit and motorists were hurt but not killed, according to the sheriff’s department.
“We are aware of an incident involving Amtrak train 501. We will update with additional details as they become available,” Amtrak first announced on Twitter.
Amtrak also said in a statement that the train was running from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, and that service south of Seattle had been temporarily suspended.
“Amtrak is aware of an incident with train 501, Cascades service from Seattle to Portland. Emergency services are on the scene, and Amtrak management is responding. Some injuries are reported,” the statement read. “Amtrak service south of Seattle is temporarily suspended. Service from Seattle to points north and east is continuing to operate.”
Video
DUPONT, Wash. — A passenger train on a newly opened Amtrak route jumped the tracks on an overpass south of Tacoma on Monday, slamming rail cars into a busy highway, killing at least three people and injuring about 100 others, officials said.
The derailment of Amtrak Train No. 501, making the inaugural run of a new service from Seattle to Portland, dropped a 132-ton locomotive in the southbound lanes of the Northwest’s busiest travel corridor, Interstate 5. Two passenger coaches also fell partly in the traffic lanes, and two other coaches were left dangling off the bridge, one of them wedged against a tractor-trailer. On the highway below lay five crumpled cars and two semi-trucks, and huge chunks of concrete that were ripped away from the damaged overpass.
All 12 of the train’s coaches and one of its two engines derailed. The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to investigate everything from the speed of the train to whether a technology known as positive train control could have slowed it.
“It felt like the end of the world, and I was standing amid the wreckage,” said Emma Shafer, 20, a modern-dance student who was napping aboard the train with her shoes off when it derailed. She found herself in a coach dangling at a steep angle toward the highway — the man behind her yelling, his legs pinned, while a parent trapped with a baby in a restroom banged on the door for help getting out.
The crash, at 7:33 a.m. about midway between Tacoma and Olympia, killed at least three people, local police and fire officials said late Monday afternoon. Earlier, a federal official briefed on the crash said that six people had been killed. Some of those injured were in vehicles on the highway and not on the train.
But investigators are still going through the wreckage and could not say for certain how many people had died. “It appears that all of the fatalities are contained in the rail cars that went into the woods,” said Detective Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, adding that rescue workers were using chain saws to try to reach victims in those cars.
CHI Franciscan Health, a regional hospital network, said the injured were transported to hospitals, including four who were classified “level red,” reflecting the most severe injuries.
Photo
The train carried 77 passengers and seven crew members, said Gay Banks Olson, assistant superintendent of Northwest operations for Amtrak.
President Trump wrote on Twitter that the crash on Amtrak’s Cascades service showed the need for increased infrastructure spending.
In fact, the tracks where the accident occurred were brand new and the result of a recent infrastructure investment program.
Backed by the state of Washington, Sound Transit, the regional transit agency, used $180 million from the 2009 federal stimulus package to buy an old 14.5-mile stretch of track and upgrade it for faster passenger service. The project, known as the Point Defiance Bypass, was devised to allow Cascades trains to stop using a more roundabout route that they shared with freight trains, making for faster, more reliable travel.
The state also spent $58 million from the stimulus bill on eight new locomotives, specifically for that service. The Cascades service embodies the complex, overlapping responsibilities on many of the nation’s rail lines. Officials said the service is owned by the states of Washington and Oregon, and operated by Amtrak, whereas the Point Defiance Bypass track is owned by Sound Transit, a regional transit agency, and dispatched by BNSF, the freight company that used to own the line.
“There have been a lot of trial runs” on the line, said Ms. Olson of Amtrak. She said it was far too soon to discuss a cause of the disaster.
The train derailed where the track curved onto the bridge across Interstate 5. The state transportation department had boasted that the new route would have a top speed of 79 miles per hour, though it was not clear if a slower limit was in place where the train crashed. Shortly before the accident, a passenger, Chris Karnes, chairman of the advisory board to Pierce County’s transit agency, took to Twitter to marvel at how fast the train was, noting, “We are passing up traffic on I-5.”
Federal law requires railroads, by the end of 2018, to have positive train control, which automatically slows trains if they are exceeding speed limits or approaching dangerous conditions. In its latest progress report to the railroad administration, Amtrak said it had installed positive train control on all 603 miles of track on the Northeast Corridor, from Washington to Boston.
