Three people have died and dozens injured after an Amtrak train derailed on Monday in the US state of Missouri.
Amtrak said the incident happened after the train collided with a dump truck at a public crossing near the city of Mendon at 12.42 pm local time.
The train was enroute to Chicago from Los Angeles, with around 275 passengers and 12 crew members onboard, when the derailment happened.
Officers later confirmed the driver and two passengers had lost their lives.
In a statement, Amtrak said it was “deeply saddened” by the news. “There are also several reported injuries among the passengers and crew members travelling on the train,” the company said in a statement.
“Amtrak is working with local authorities to make sure those who are injured get medical care and everyone else receives services and transportation.”
Cpl Justin Dunn, of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, told reporters that two of those killed were aboard the train while the third was in a dump truck that the train struck.
He estimated that seven carriages of the train had derailed.
Robert Nightingale told CNN he had been taking a nap when he heard disturbance from the collision.
“It all happened like slow motion. It started to rock and rock, and then flicker, and then it just all of a sudden, all this dust was through my window,” Mr Nightingale said.
The incident comes just a day after an Amtrak collision in rural California on Sunday, which also killed three people.
The train collided with a passenger vehicle near Brentwood, about 60 miles east of San Fransisco, killing three people and causing major injuries to two others, according to officials.
The US Transport Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, said in a statement: “Saddened by the tragic loss of life and injuries in the Missouri train derailment today & Northern California collision over the weekend.
“I have been kept updated & my team is in touch with Amtrak & relevant authorities.”
