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Washington (AFP)
Amtrak on Sunday expressed condolences to the families of those killed when a train derailed the day before in northern Montana, saying it was “fully cooperating” with an investigation into the deadly incident.
“We have no words to adequately express our grief for those who have lost a loved one or been injured in this horrific event,” US rail operator CEO Bill Flynn said in a statement. communicated.
About 141 passengers and 16 crew members were traveling from Chicago to the Pacific coast on Saturday afternoon when eight of the 10 cars derailed around 4:00 p.m. (10:00 p.m. GMT), killing three people and injuring dozens more.
“We are cooperating fully with the investigation, working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Railroad Administration, local law enforcement and response agencies,” said Flynn.
“We share the sense of urgency to understand why the accident happened; however, until the investigation is complete, we will not comment further on the accident itself.”
Rescuers rushed to evacuate everyone on board after the derailment, and Amtrak later said local officials confirmed “three people lost their lives as a result of the crash,” adding that there were also “reported injuriesâ€.
Images posted on social media showed people waiting near the tracks, luggage strewn beside them, train cars seen on the track list and at least one overturned on the side.
Flynn said the company was working to support passengers and crew and had an incident response team in place to help those on the train.
The cause of the derailment was not immediately clear.
The National Transportation and Safety Council said it was launching a “response team” to investigate the derailment.
– “More than 50 people” injured –
Montana Emergency and Disaster Services Coordinator Amanda Frickel told the New York Times on Saturday that “more than 50 people have been injured.”
She said rescue teams were at the scene and several hospitals – as well as medical helicopters – were on standby.
Authorities were not disclosing further details at this time, she said, adding: “All who are alive have been taken from the wreckage.”
The Empire Builder train derailed in a remote area near Joplin, Montana, a town of about 200 people near the border with Canada.
Montana Senator Jon Tester said he was monitoring the derailment.
“My thoughts are with all passengers, crew and first responders at the scene,” he added.
Amtrak said it was canceling some trains on Saturday between the states of North Dakota and Montana, and cutting two Empire Builder train services on Sunday, with no alternate transportation available.
The US rail network suffers from chronic underfunding and fatal accidents sometimes occur.
In 2018, two people died in South Carolina when an Amtrak train running on the wrong track collided with a stationary freight train, in a crash later blamed on safety breaches.
A year earlier, an Amtrak passenger train traveling on a new route for the first time derailed in Washington state, killing at least three people as cars plunged from a bridge over a busy highway in the height of morning rush hour.
© 2021 AFP
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