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Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia

Source: (Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency) / Getty

Six people have died and over 140 were injured when all seven cars on an Amtrak train traveling from Washington D.C. to New York City derailed and rolled on its side in Philadelphia, NBC reports.

The Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188 was carrying 238 passengers and five crew members at the time of the accident. The death toll rose to six overnight after a passenger died of injuries sustained in the crash, the site writes.

Five others died in the crash from severe chest injuries, Philly Mayor Michael Nutter confirmed Tuesday night in a press conference. Nutter, who did not specify the cause of the derailment, did call the accident a “level 3 mass casualty event.”

From NBC:

“This was an absolute disastrous mess,” Nutter said. “I have never seen anything like it in my life. Many of these folks are not from Philadelphia.”

“All of a sudden it felt like the brakes were hit hard and then our car,” said Michael Black, one of the passengers. “We were third from the last, just slowly started going over to the side. I tried to just brace my arm against it and then just got off.”

Daniel Hernandez, who lives close to the tracks, heard the derailment. “It sounded like a bunch of shopping carts crashing into each other,” he said. Hernandez says the crashing sound lasted a few seconds and he heard chaos and screaming.

Authorities have yet to release the identity of the deceased. At least eight patients are in critical condition and 25 of the 140 injured remained hospitalized as of Wednesday morning.

While the cause of the derailment is unknown at this time, officials said they do not believe it was an act of terror. The National Transportation Safety Board is currently on the scene and an investigation is underway.

In September 1943, a deadly derailment took place in almost the exact same location as Tuesday’s. Seventy-nine people were killed on the train carrying 541 passengers.

SOURCE: NBC | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty | VIDEO SOURCE: NDN

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Amtrak Derailment In Philadelphia Leaves 6 Dead, 140 Injured  was originally published on newsone.com

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