5:58PM EST: [PHOTOS & UPDATES BELOW] Two subway trains full of passengers have collided in Washington, D.C., in a scene that is “developing into a mass casualty event,” according to emergency officials.
Authorities say a six-car train has collided with another train near the Washington and Maryland border, killing at least one person.
Crews are cutting apart the trains to get people out. He says there are severe injuries, but no indication how many.
Spokeswoman Taryn McNeil says the collision happened about 5 p.m. between the Fort Totten and Takoma Park stations on Metro’s red line.
According to WJLA, one train was on top of the other. This is “developing into a mass casualty event,” said EMS spokesman Alan Etter Etter said. “We’re expecting a number of injuries. We’re not aware of any fatalities at this point”.
CNN is reporting that 9 people have been injured and at least one person has been killed.
UPDATE 6:20PM EST: A second person has been pronounced dead in this incident. Many victims remain trapped in the carnage, and rescue personnel are working to extricate them.
UPDATE 7:10PM EST: One of the people killed is reportedly an engineer of one of the trains. At least 40 people have been transported to the hospital. Rescue operations continue at this time.
UPDATE 7:15PM EST: At least four people have died and as many as 55 are injured, officials say.
UPDATE 7:41PM EST: D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin says 70 people are injured. Of those, two people have life-threatening injuries and 50 fell into the “walking wounded” category of injuries.
D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier says people who believe their loved ones were on the train can call 202-727-9099.
“It looks to be the worst Metro accident in D.C. history,” D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty says.
Metro General Manager John Catoe says it appears one of the trains was stopped on the tracks awaiting permission to pass when another train came up behind it and slammed into the back of the train.
The six-car train derailed and then collided with another train on an elevated track between the Takoma Park and Fort Totten stations around 5 p.m. Monday, trapping dozens of passengers.
YWN PHOTO LINK: Click HERE for photos.
UPDATE 8:22PM EST: The death toll has now risen to six.
UPDATE 11:57PM EST: The death toll has now been placed at nine in this horrific crash.
(Yehuda Drudgestein – YWN)
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14 Responses
This is the train line connecting, among other things, Silver Spring with central DC.
What a tragedy. We should only have good news.
takoma is the station before silver springs (though most people use the next station past, also in silver springs_).
It’s Silver Spring, not Silver Springs.
The largest frum communities in the Capitol use the Silver Spring station as well as the Wheaton station (two stops north of Silver Spring). The trains in the accident were inbound at 5 pm, which means they had many fewer people than the outbound trains.
Looks like the trains might have collided head-on after one derailed. 2 dead, 40 taken to local hospitals.
We do not have Hatzoloh in the Capitol area.
Back to rear-ended: one was stopped, the other crashed into it.
4 dead as of 7:30 pm EDT.
Death toll is up to 6!
We’re trying to find out if any of the casualties are “unzerer.”
The authorities are not releasing casualty names until they notify next of kin; probably not until tomorrow morning.
9 are confirmed dead
source where 9 people are dead is found on http://www.wtop.com
There was a frum man from Baltimore in the 3rd car of the train that caused the collision. B”H he is fine. The paramedics had him go to the hospital to be checked out though he felt totally fine.
What a tragedy…although they are reporting 7 now.
…and #3, its SILVER SPRING!,this drives people who live in the Baltimore/Silver Spring area crazy when “out-of-towners” call it silver springs 🙂 we forgive you though.
9 DEAD IS CONFIRMED ONCE AGAIN
by the way justsmiles613===DC METRO RECONFIRMS OFFOCIAL DEATH TOLL TO BE AT 9 7 MINUTES OLD