Amtrak train accident: 2 killed; atleast 70 injured
A crash between an Amtrak passenger train and a CSX freight train in South Carolina has left at least two people dead and about 70 people injured. Lexington County spokesman Harrison Cahill said the trains collided in Cayce around 2:45 a.m local time on Sunday.
The Amtrak train travelling between New York and Miami collided with the CSX freight train and derailed in Cayce, near Columbia, the state’s capital, at around 2:30 am on Sunday. Amtrak said in a statement that the lead engine derailed along with some passenger cars. Eight crew members and 139 passengers were on board.
The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department confirmed all passengers had been evacuated from the Amtrak train. Officials added that although 5,000 gallons of fuel spilled following the crash, there was no danger to the public.
The accident comes days after another Amtrak train carrying several dozen Republican lawmakers including US House Speaker Paul Ryan collided with a garbage truck in Virginia, killing one person and causing six others, including a congressman, to need hospital treatment.
In December, three people were killed 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 road.
