Three people were killed and up to 50 injured when an Amtrak train derailed after hitting a dump truck at a crossing near Kansas City, Missouri.
Two train passengers and the driver of the truck died in the crash, Cpl Justin Dunn of the Missouri Highway Patrol said at a press conference on Monday afternoon.
The Southwest Chief Train 4 was travelling from Los Angeles to Chicago when it collided with a vehicle that was obstructing a public crossing at Porsche Prairie Avenue, southwest of Mendon, at 12.42pm, Amtrak said in a statement.
There were approximately 275 passengers and 12 crew members onboard.
The company said it was “deeply saddened” by the confirmed deaths of three people, and the reports of injuries among passengers and crew members of the train.
Eight cars and two locomotives derailed, Amtrak said, adding that they have deployed emergency personnel to the scene.
Almost 20 local and state law enforcement agencies, ambulance services, fire department and medical helicopter services responded to the derailment, Mr Dunn said.
The first emergency responders arrived within 20 minutes of receiving a 911 call, he added.
Missouri state highway patrol said the investigation is in preliminary stages and first responders started to arrive at approximately 1.02pm.
“All injured and uninjured occupants of the train have been transported from the scene,” it said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is sending a 14-person team to the crash site to investigate.
Chairperson Jennifer Homendy said trains won’t be able to run on the track for “a matter of days” while investigators work to gather evidence. She added that it was too early to speculate on why the truck was on the tracks.
Several of the injured were flown to University Hospital in Columbia, and three others were being transferred by road, a hospital spokesperson told ABC 17.
Photos of the crash site posted to Twitter showed passengers being helped from an overturned carriage.
A witness told Reuters that it appeared to be a “mass casualty event”.
A passenger on the train, Robert Nightingale, told the news agency he had fallen asleep when he heard the train rock from side to side. The compartment that he was travelling in then keeled over.
He was able to escape uninjured after climbing into a hallway and out of a window.
Another passenger, Dax McDonald, posted photos of the crash site and video of the aftermath to Twitter.
He said uninjured passengers had been taken to Northwestern High School in Mendon.
“So thankful for the people here, safely at the Northwestern high school near Mendon,” Mr McDonald wrote. “This town pulled together to help everyone.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted on Monday night to express grief over the “horrific train derailment” .
“My heart goes out to all those affected by today’s horrific train derailment in Missouri,” she said. “While there are no words that can console those grieving lost loved ones, may it bring them comfort that so many Americans pray for them on this tragic day.”
The crash came one day after an Amtrak train crashed into a vehicle that was obstructing tracks near Brentwood, California, killing three people and injuring two others.
