[UPDATE: 2:25 pm EST] A U.S. official told the Associated Press said that based on a preliminary investigation, the train may have struck something on the track before derailing.
President Trump offered his “thoughts and prayers” for everyone involved in the train accident.
“My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in the train accident in DuPont, Washington. Thank you to all of our wonderful First Responders who are on the scene. We are currently monitoring here at the White House,” Trump tweeted.
Donald J. Trump (Twitter)
President Trump also called for more infrastructure spending in the U.S.
“The train accident that just occurred in DuPont, WA shows more than ever why our soon to be submitted infrastructure plan must be approved quickly. Seven trillion dollars spent in the Middle East while our roads, bridges, tunnels, railways (and more) crumble! Not for long!” Trump wrote.
Donald J. Trump (Twitter)
[UPDATE: 1:25 pm EST] There are 20 victims who were taken to Madigan Army Medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Nine patients are currently in serious but stable condition, and there are 11 other patients at Madigan.
The Associated Press also reported that the Amtrak train was traveling at 81.1 miles per hour – 2.1 miles per hour over the speed limit for that stretch of track – moments before the derailment. It determined this from data on TransitDocs.com, which maps Amtrak trains and speeds.
Amtrak crash (Twitter)
[UPDATE: 1:00 pm EST] Amtrak tweeted there were 78 passengers and five crew on board the train.
Train cars are still dangling from the freeway.
Amtrak (Twitter)
Several motorists were injured in the incident, but no one in the vehicles on the road was killed. Those killed are believed to have been on the train.
[UPDATE: 12:20 pm EST]
Pierce County Spokesman Ed Troyer said several people have been killed in the derailment.
“There have been multiple casualties as a result of the Amtrak derailment near Tacoma, Washington,” he told NBC News. “The casualties include multiple injuries and fatalities.”
The train was part of a new service that launched Monday morning from Seattle to Portland.
[UPDATE: 11:45 am EST]
Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said there are “injuries and casualties reported.”
Pierce Co Sheriff (Twitter)
An Amtrak train derailed Monday morning and fell onto a major interstate highway in Washington state.
CNBC (Twitter)
The train derailed onto Interstate 5, closing off both directions of traffic.
Tim Williams (Twitter)
Amtrak said in a tweet it is “aware of an incident involving Amtrak train 501. We will update with additional details as they become available.”
