Washington derailment – as it happened: Trump responds to fatal disaster by touting infrastructure plan before sending condolences
Our coverage of the train crash over busy road in Washington State
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Your support makes all the difference.There have been a number of deaths after an Amtrak train derailed on an overpass in Washington State, according to a spokesman for the local sheriff's office
The train derailed on a bridge over a major highway in DuPont, Washington - leaving it hanging over the Interstate 5. and blocking all southbound lanes.
The Pierce County Sheriff's Department said it had reports of both injuries and casualties. Among the injured were motorists who had been struck by the derailed cars, none of whom were killed.
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Washington Gov Jay Inslee offered a message of support to first responders and urged commuters to avoid the area.
“This is an ongoing and serious situation,” Mr Inslee said on Twitter.
In an image shared by the Washington State Department of Transportation, a train car can be seen hanging off of the tracks and protruding into the highway. The agency noted that all southbound lanes were blocked and urged commuters to avoid the area.
As often happens after disasters like this, folks are lining up to donate blood and try to help out. If you live in the area and want to pitch in, here's how:
Another question certain to come up as the National Transportation Safety Board investigates: whether the train was going too fast.
The Seattle Times reports that, on the curve where the derailment happened, the speed limit is 30 mph. But reports suggest the train may have been traveling twice as fast or more:
Train cars toppling into the highway have shut down a major north-south route for the foreseeable future, and travelers have been warned that alternate routes will face delays as well. In fact, transit authorities are asking cars to avoid the area altogether:
So Alaska Airlines is offering discounted flights:
We're about to get a briefing from Washington authorities. Stay tuned...
Authorities are still only confirming three fatalities, although multiple outlets have cited unnamed officials in saying at least six people died.
A representative of the Washington State Patrol affirmed to reporters the possibility that the total of fatalities could rise, noting that survivors are still being treated for critical injuries.
We also have some details about the difficult task confronting firefighters who had to board train cars that were still dangling off of tracks and search for potential victims — a “very precarious, very dangerous" job, Jay Sumerlin of West Pierce Fire and Rescue told reporters.
Responders had to use tools like the jaws of life and power saws to pry and cut their way into train cars. But they were able to get in, and now each of the train's 14 cars has been searched.
“It took a lot of extrication tools. It wasn’t easy for firefighters to get through," Mr Sumerlin said.
Beyond the loss of life, there are environmental implications to this accident.
Officials are also dealing with a diesel spill from the accident, with Amtrak and the state’s Department of Ecology working on a long-term plan to contain the effects. The leaking car was carrying some 350 gallons of diesel.
Local officials had been questioning the Point Defiance Bypass project that brought a public train to this section of tracks, and warning about potential dangers, for a while.
After today’s derailment, Lakewood Mayor Don Andersen told MSNBC that his community “has been very concerned about the safety of this modification of the rail route for several years”.
Back in 2013, the city of Lakewood sued over the plan, arguing state officials didn’t do the proper environmental review.
That same year, an editorial in the News Review warned of the risks inherent in an effort “to shave a few minutes off of Amtrak trains’ time between Seattle and Portland” and offered what now looks like a prophetic warning: “A train accident on tracks near I-5 easily could create backups stretching miles in both directions”.
Okay readers, that's all from us here at the Independent for today. In case you didn't get a chance to peruse it, below is our story on today's derailment.
Thanks for looking to the Indy to stay informed about the world, and keep checking in in the days to come as we continue covering the fallout from this accident.
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