Rail carnage as train plunges on to road
A COMMUTER train jumped the tracks of a new highspeed train line and plunged onto a busy highway on Monday, killing at least three and injuring more than 100 in Washington state.
Authorities said the horror crash was likely caused by something on the tracks, sending one carriage of the Amtrak train onto the Interstate 5 highway between Seattle and Portland on the US west coast.
The train was carrying 77 passengers and seven crew when it crashed early Monday morning local time, on the first day of operation for the new high-speed line.
Authorities were last night working to release injured passengers, using chainsaws, jaws of life, air chisels, ladders and saws to cut through the wreckage.
“It appears that all of the fatalities are contained in the rail cars that went into the woods,” said Pierce County spokesman Ed Troyer.
There were fears the death toll would rise, with hospital officials saying at least two people were in critical condition and 11 others seriously injured.
Detective Troyer confirmed multiple fatalities after the train derailed south of Seattle near Tacoma as it was making its first run to Portland, Oregon as part of a faster service that local authorities had warned could be dangerous.
Authorities said 13 train cars jumped the tracks, striking five vehicles and two semi-trailers underneath the train. No one in those vehicles was killed buy several were injured.
Despite the crash occurring on a new line, President Donald Trump said it proved more funds were needed for America’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,” he tweeted.
Mr Trump later expressed “our deepest sympathies and most heartfelt prayers for the victims”.
He added: “We are closely monitoring the situation.”