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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAt least three people have been confirmed killed after a US passenger train derailed onto a motorway in Washington state during rush hour on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
Officials say 72 people were taken to hospitals after most of the Amtrak train\u2019s carriages left the track.<\/p>\n
A number of those injured are reported to be in a critical condition.<\/p>\n
Authorities said all carriages had now been searched, but would not rule out a rise in the number of dead.<\/p>\n
Seven vehicles, two of them lorries, were hit on the I-5 highway below. Several people were injured in their vehicles but none died.<\/p>\n
It was Amtrak\u2019s first passenger service to run on a new, shorter route.<\/p>\n
Train 501 had left Seattle, heading south for Portland, at 06:00 local time (14:00 GMT). The derailment happened on a section of track, south of Tacoma, previously only used for freight trains.<\/p>\n
Authorities quoted by Associated Press earlier spoke of at least six people killed.<\/p>\n
One passenger carriage could be seen dangling from the bridge, while others were strewn across the road and the wooded area next to the track.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A recording of the train\u2019s emergency call to railway dispatchers was released to US media.<\/p>\n \u201cEmergency! We are on the ground!\u201d a man, possibly the conductor, radios in.<\/p>\n In a second radio call, another crew member reports that only the rear unit remains on the rails.<\/p>\n \u201cAll other cars appear to be on the ground in quite a mess,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n The train\u2019s engineer has a head injury, he tells dispatchers.<\/p>\n President Donald Trump\u2019s first reaction to the derailment was to tweet that it showed the need for his forthcoming infrastructure plan.<\/p>\n However US media outlets pointed out his submitted federal transportation budget actually proposed cuts to funding to national rail systems.<\/p>\n He later added that his thoughts and prayers were with those involved.<\/p>\n The section of track where the crash happened has been recently rebuilt and upgraded using federal funds.<\/p>\n Washington\u2019s governor has declared a state of emergency in two counties.<\/p>\n Passenger Chris Karnes, on board the train, said his carriage had careered down an embankment then come to a stop: \u201cWe could hear and feel the cars crumpling and breaking apart, and water came out from the ceiling.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn order to get out\u2026 we had to kick out the emergency window,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Governor Jay Inslee said he was praying for the many injured.<\/p>\n Officials set up a family reunification centre at DuPont city hall and asked people not to come to the scene of the crash.<\/p>\n A local news reporter who was on the train, but got off at a stop just before the crash, said many of those on board were railway enthusiasts, keen to experience the first high-speed train on the new route.<\/p>\n Every passenger was given a commemorative lanyard and badge to mark their journey, he said.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Source: BBC<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Homepage](\"https:\/\/ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Telesol-ad.jpg\")
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