‘At least SIX dead and 77 injured’ after new high-speed Amtrak train derails on Washington State overpass on its FIRST day of service sending rail car crashing onto interstate below’
An Amtrak train derailed near DuPont, Washington around 7:40am Monday
The train derailed while crossing a bridge over Interstate 5, causing one car to crash onto the freeway below
At least six people who were on the train have died, while 77 people were injured
No motorists were killed on the freeway below
It was the first day of a new high-speed service linking Seattle and Portland
The train was reportedly going about 80mph when it derailed
Seventy-eight passengers were on board, in addition to five crew members
President Trump blamed the crash on ‘crumbling infrastructure’ in a tweet
ASHLEY COLLMAN
DAILYMAIL.COM
18 December 2017
Multiple injuries and fatalities have been reported after an Amtrak train derailed on the maiden voyage of a new high-speed service linking Seattle and Portland.
Train 501 was going south when it derailed while crossing a bridge over Interstate 5 near DuPont, Washington around 7:40am Pacific Time, causing at least one car to fall onto the freeway below.
Law enforcement have not given an exact number of fatalities yet, but the Seattle Times reports that at least six are dead.
Amtrak confirmed its train was involved but did not provide further information.
‘We are aware of an incident involving Amtrak train 501,’ the rail operator said on Twitter. ‘We will update with additional details as they become available.’
It was the first day of the new $181million high-speed Cascade service, which rerouted trains down 14 miles of updated track. The new bypass between Tacoma and DuPont is straighter, meaning that trains can go faster than they did on the windy old line.
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