Amtrak train derails on highway in Washington, 6 killed

Six people were killed early Monday when an Amtrak passenger train derailed in Washington state near the city of Tacoma, sending cars flying off a bridge and onto a busy interstate. The death toll is expected to rise, officials said.

Approximately 78 passengers and five crew members were aboard the train, Amtrak said in a statement.

The derailment occurred on the first day Amtrak trains began using a new inland route between the cities of Tacoma and Olympia, part of a project to reduce travel time, according to an October news release from the state's transportation department.

An Amtrak passenger train traveling on a new route for the first time derailed in Washington (U.S), killing at least three people as cars plunged off a bridge onto a busy highway pic.twitter.com/DA9OfTL71u

— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2017

Officials in the US state of Washington said that there had been "multiple fatalities" after an Amtrak passenger train derailed during its inaugural run on a new faster route near the city of Tacoma.

Preliminary signs indicate the Amtrak train may have struck something on the track before derailing, they said.

Seventy-seven people were transported to hospitals in Pierce and Thurston counties, the Tacoma-based CHI Franciscan Health healthcare network said in a statement.

Soon after the incident took place, President Donald Trump took to Twitter and said that the situation is being monitored.

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in the train accident in DuPont, Washington. Thank you to all of our wonderful First Responders who are on the scene. We are currently monitoring here at the White House.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2017

Train accident that just occurred in DuPont, WA shows more than ever why our soon to be submitted infrastructure plan must be approved quickly. Seven trillion dollars spent in the Middle East while our roads, bridges, tunnels, railways (and more) crumble! Not for long! he tweeted.

OneIndia News