Photo courtesy of: (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA)
No Tuesday night an Amtrak train headed to New York City derailed and tipped over, disfiguring the front of it, killing six people and injuring over 200. Some passengers climbed out of windows and the backs of cars to escape.
Mayor Michael Nutter, who confirmed the deaths, said the scene was horrific.
Mayor Michael Nutter, who confirmed the deaths, said the scene was horrific.
"It is an absolute disastrous mess. Never seen anything like this in my life." - Mayor Nutter
Via AP on Yahoo! News
Mayor Michael Nutter said some people remained unaccounted for, raising fears the death toll could rise, though he cautioned that some passengers listed on the Amtrak manifest might not have boarded the train, while others might not have checked in with authorities.
Train 188, a Northeast Regional, had left Washington, D.C. The front of the train was going into a turn when it started to shake before coming to a sudden stop.
An Associated Press manager, Paul Cheung, was on the train and said he was watching Netflix when "the train started to decelerate, like someone had slammed the brake."
"Then suddenly you could see everything starting to shake," he said. "You could see people's stuff flying over me."
Cheung said another passenger urged him to escape from the back of his car, which he did. He said he saw passengers trying to escape through the windows of cars tipped on their side.
Train 188, a Northeast Regional, had left Washington, D.C. The front of the train was going into a turn when it started to shake before coming to a sudden stop.
An Associated Press manager, Paul Cheung, was on the train and said he was watching Netflix when "the train started to decelerate, like someone had slammed the brake."
"Then suddenly you could see everything starting to shake," he said. "You could see people's stuff flying over me."
Cheung said another passenger urged him to escape from the back of his car, which he did. He said he saw passengers trying to escape through the windows of cars tipped on their side.
Photo courtesy of: AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek
The cause of the derailment was unknown, but is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Police pleaded with curious onlookers asking that they "Do NOT go to scene of derailment. Please allow 1st responders room to work."
Amtrak said the train was carrying 238 passengers and five crew members. It said rail service on the busy Northeast Corridor between New York and Philadelphia was stopped.
Police pleaded with curious onlookers asking that they "Do NOT go to scene of derailment. Please allow 1st responders room to work."
Amtrak said the train was carrying 238 passengers and five crew members. It said rail service on the busy Northeast Corridor between New York and Philadelphia was stopped.
WRITTEN BY: VIOLA CONSTANCE | @Voila_its_Viola
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