A train derails in the United States. Three people die and several others are injured. The US Transportation Safety Authority wants to investigate – it’s not the first accident of this kind in recent times.
A train crash in the United States has killed at least three people and injured dozens more.
A long-distance train carrying more than 200 people on its way from Los Angeles to Chicago in the state of Missouri collided with a truck at a level crossing on Monday and derailed, police and authorities said. According to the operating company Amtrak, eight wagons and two locomotives jumped off the rails.
Unguarded level crossing
According to initial findings, the accident happened around 1 p.m. local time at an unbarred crossing on a gravel road near the town of Mendon – around 150 kilometers northeast of Kansas City – when the dump truck wanted to cross the tracks. The place was only secured with a stop sign, it said in media reports. The US Transportation Security Administration (NTSB) announced on Twitter that it would investigate the case. According to Amtrak, it wants to support the investigation.
The state police wrote on Twitter that the fatalities were two train passengers and the driver of the truck. The exact number of injured initially remained unclear. Local media spoke of at least 50. According to reports, several rescue helicopters were used for the recovery. According to Amtrak, there were around 275 passengers and 12 employees on the train, but police said there were 207 people on board.
The first photos and videos on social media showed wagons tipped on their side next to the tracks. Passengers who managed to free themselves were sitting on overturned carriages. There was also a group of boy scouts on the train who provided first aid.
It was the second fatal rail accident of this kind in the United States within a few days. An Amtrak train collided with a car at an unrestricted crossing near Brentwood, California on Sunday. Three occupants were killed in the car and two others were seriously injured, police said.
