An amtrak passenger train turned into mistakenly diverted to a facet track and crashed into an unmanned freight educate in south carolina, killing amtrak personnel and injuring 116 humans, federal officers stated.
Amtrak train 91 changed into traveling south early sunday and ought to have persevered immediately down the tracks, however the rail transfer were manually set to divert the train onto the rack where the csx teach was parked, national transportation protection board chairman robert sumwalt said at a information convention.
A padlock held the transfer in its alignment, that is wellknown technique whilst switches are operated by hand, sumwalt said.
"key to that investigation is gaining knowledge of why that transfer become lined (aligned) that manner," he said.
Sumwalt said video from the the front of the amtrak teach were recovered and sent to washington, wherein it is going to be inspected. So that it will assist investigators determine what passed off inside the 2:35 a.M. Collision, together with whether or not the teach braked or turned into exceeding the fifty nine mph velocity limit, he said.
Engineer, conductor killed
Lexington county spokesman harrison cahill said 116 people have been injured and transported to hospitals, with injuries starting from scratches to damaged bones.
Officials initially said 70 human beings with injuries had been transported for remedy, but later adjusted the figure.
Killed were two amtrak personnel: train engineer michael kempf, fifty four, of savannah, georgia, and conductor michael cella, 36 of orange park, florida, lexington county coroner margaret fisher stated.
No high quality train manage
An aerial view of the web site of the crash web page close to cayce, south carolina.
An aerial view of the web site of the crash website near cayce, south carolina.
Sumwalt said the crash could have been avoided if fantastic train manage -- a system that combines gps, wireless radio and computers to display trains and forestall them from colliding, derailing or dashing -- have been in location.
Railroad groups have till the stop of 2018, and in all likelihood two extra years later on, to implement percent.
Sumwalt stated he did not realize why this precise teach did not have percent.
Richard anderson, amtrak ceo and president, informed cnn's rene marsh that the signal system alongside the segment of song wherein the crash passed off turned into down and the tracks have been being manually managed with the aid of csx. Sumwalt confirmed the tracks have been owned and operated by way of csx.
Anderson stated the csx dispatch center directed the amtrak train to the tune where the derailment happened. The csx dispatch center changed into manually directing the amtrak train via smartphone communications, anderson said.
In step with anderson, csx has complete control of the tracks, signals and switches in the region wherein the crash occurred.
Csx assertion
A csx spokesperson issued this announcement:
"our honest condolences exit to the households of the 2 people who exceeded away following the tragic occasions that took place in cayce, south carolina, early this morning. We continue to be centered on presenting assistance and help to those impacted by contemporary incident.
"csx hosts greater passenger trains on its community than another primary railroad within the united states of america, and passenger rail stays one of the safest approaches to journey. The countrywide transportation protection board is main the investigation into this incident and csx will retain operating with the investigating crew."
Gas spilled
The amtrak teach 91 turned into touring between big apple and miami with a 9 crew individuals and 147 human beings aboard when it collided with the csx freight teach in cayce, derailing the lead engine and a number of the seven passenger cars, sumwalt stated.
Sumwalt said the csx educate, made up of two locomotives and 34 empty vehicles, had just unloaded a cargo of cars at a nearby siding. The teach was empty of human beings, government said.
One train car absolutely flipped over and overwhelmed. @thestate #sctweets p.C.Twitter.Com/i4dbyp69bp
— maayan schechter (@maayanschechter) february four, 2018
About 5,000 gallons of gasoline have been spilled, government predicted, however cahill said there was "no threat to the general public on the time."
The national transportation protection board investigation ought to take 12 to 18 months, sumwalt stated.
President donald trump has been briefed at the coincidence, in line with a declaration from white residence deputy press secretary lindsay walters.
"my mind and prayers are with all the sufferers concerned on this morning's educate collision in south carolina," trump wrote in a tweet on sunday afternoon. "thanks to our amazing first responders for the paintings they've carried out!"
My mind and prayers are with all the victims involved on this mornings educate collision in south carolina. Thank you to our splendid first responders for the paintings they've completed!
— donald j. Trump (@realdonaldtrump) february four, 2018
'no person became panicking'
Derek pettaway become a passenger in one of the teach's rear automobiles, headed for orlando. He changed into awoke by using the effect, and the team came via the cars "truly speedy" and got all and sundry off the train.
"no person become panicking," pettaway said. "i think people were greater in shock than whatever else."
Pettaway became discharged from a hospital with minor whiplash, he said. From there, he went to a refuge at pine ridge center faculty for passengers who failed to go through extreme injuries.
For people who knew i was traveling to florida nowadays at the train i just desired to can help you recognize i am adequate. My teach turned into the one that derailed in south carolina, however i used to be inside the closing vehicle and it stayed at the music. Just the whole lot getting thrown ahead suddenly, so greater "what just passed off". Every body right here in lexington county, south carolina are clearly first-rate and everybody that didn't need scientific assist are in excellent spirits. Afterall, it may be worse. I'll allow anybody recognise once I arrive in florida. #educate #trainderailment #amtrak #imfine #lexingtoncountysouthcarolina #itcouldbeworth #stillbetterthanflying
A publish shared via lauren socha (@emodpi) on feb 4, 2018 at three:43am pst
Other amtrak accidents
Sunday's changed into one of numerous deadly incidents involving an amtrak educate in the beyond few weeks.
In december, an amtrak train derailed close to dupont in washington state and hurtled off an overpass onto interstate five, killing three humans. The amtrak engineer on that educate instructed investigators he mistook a sign and braked moments before the lethal crash, in line with the national transportation safety board.
A cnn research found that engineers and conductors had complained to supervisors that they had been now not thoroughly skilled for the new route earlier than the crash of amtrak 501.
Final week, an amtrak teach sporting individuals of congress to a republican retreat in west virginia struck a truck near charlottesville, virginia. Investigators looking into the crash are focusing at the actions of the driving force of a truck, a supply with knowledge of the investigation told cnn.
In mid-january, a pastor and his spouse have been killed in nash county in north carolina while their suv was hit by means of an amtrak educate, in step with cnn associate wncn. The crash happened after the motive force maneuvered the car across the decreased crossing arm.