At least three people were killed and some 50 persons were injured in a train derailment in the US state of Montana on Saturday, as rescuers dispatched to the scene worked to evacuate passengers and crew.
Eight of the ten cars on the Amtrak public railroad train derailed around 16:00 local time (22:00 UTC) near Joplin, a small town near the border with Canada in northern Montana, according to the company.
About 141 passengers and 16 crew members were onboard the train, called the Empire Builder, which ran from Chicago to Seattle.
Amtrak has dispatched teams to the scene who “are working with local authorities to transport injured passengers and safely evacuate all other passengers.” Rescuers from six counties were responding to the scene and as many as five hospitals were on standby to receive injured passengers, the disaster and emergency services coordinator for Hill County, Montana, said.
The causes of the accident were not clear at first. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened an investigation.
After the crash, Amtrak announced the cancellation of several trains on Saturday, including between the states of North Dakota and Montana.
Amtrak Empire Builder derailed in Montana approx. an hour ago. (not my photos) pic.twitter.com/7kG9s7Ms2A
— Alpal / Allan (@_alpaljpeg) September 26, 2021
My mother-in-law shared these photos with me—the Empire Builder @Amtrak train they were on derailed near Havre, Montana. @AmtrakAlerts pic.twitter.com/6p7aksKdTF
— Jessica Arp (@newsbyjessica) September 25, 2021
