Amtrak train crash kills 6 in Seattle, passengers panic: 10 developments

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An Amtrak passenger train derailed near the Washington State town of DuPont, sending rail cars plunging onto a busy interstate during the morning rush hour and resulting in injuries and deaths. Amtrak said in a tweet is it aware of the incident, which involves train No. 501 that was southbound from Seattle heading for Portland, Oregon. The accident occurred near DuPont, Washington, roughly 50 miles south of Seattle.

1. Derailment on inaugural day

The derailment occurred on the first day Amtrak trains began using the new inland route between the Washington cities of Tacoma and Olympia, part of a $181 million project to cut travel time, according to an October news release from the state’s transportation department and Amtrak.

The rerouting takes trains along I-5, enabling them to reach speeds of 79 miles per hour (127 km per hour).

Monday’s southbound Seattle-to-Portland train, whose scheduled departure time was 6 a.m. (1400 GMT), was the first to take the new route, which uses tracks owned by a commuter line.

It was not immediately clear whether the derailment was connected to the new route.

2. At least 6 dead, 100 injured

At least six people were killed after an Amtrak train derailed and fell off a bridge in southwest of Seattle on Monday and more than 100 others transported to hospitals.

According to the Guardian, the death toll is expected to rise as several others were injured in the accident. Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer was quoted as saying that there were fatalities on the train and that motorists had been injured.

3. Amtrak tweeted the incident

Soon after the crash, Amtrak took to Twitter to inform people that they were aware of the derailment.

"We are aware of an incident involving Amtrak train 501. We will update with additional details as they become available," Amtrak tweeted.

4. Passenger recounts incident

"We had just passed the city of DuPont and it seemed like we were going around a curve," passenger Chris Karnes told local CBS News affiliate KIRO-TV.

"All of a sudden, we felt this rocking and creaking noise, and it felt like we were heading down a hill," said Karnes, adding that several cars had gone off the tracks and passengers kicked out the windows to escape.

"The next thing we know, we're being slammed into the front of our seats, windows are breaking, we stop, and there's water gushing out of the train. People were screaming."

Karnes said the tracks were supposed to have been upgraded to accommodate higher speeds.

Five vehicles and two trucks were involved in the accident, and the highway was littered with fragments of the bridge and tree branches. Some motorists were injured.

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