Amtrak Train Headed To Chicago Derails In Kansas; 32 Passengers Injured
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — A Los Angeles Amtrak train that was headed to Chicago derailed in Kansas Monday morning, leaving nearly three dozen passengers injured.
"Just after midnight, Amtrak Train 4, the Southwest Chief operating from Los Angeles to Chicago, derailed some cars approximately 20 miles west of Dodge City, Kan., on a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) track," Amtrak said in a written statement. "Initial reports are that there are no life-threatening injuries."
Paramedics transported 32 injured passengers to Western Plains Hospital in Dodge City, according to CBS News. Twenty-nine of the passengers were released from the hospital by late morning, Amtrak reported.
All other commuters were taken to the 4-H Recreation Center in Cimarron where they will be provided with alternate transportation to their final destination.
Officials said around 131 passengers and 14 crew members were on board the train, which had two locomotives and nine cars.
The Amtrak train apparently was traveling at about 75 mph when the engineer noticed a significant bend in the rail and applied the emergency brakes.
The Red Cross and other relief agencies remain on-site providing assistance to passengers.
Amtrak Southwest Chief Train 3, which operates from Chicago to Los Angeles, will detour from Newton, Kan., to Albuquerque, N.M., as a result of the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to investigate.
The cause of the derailment remains under investigation.
Anyone who has questions about their friends and family members who traveled on board the train have been urged to call (800) 523-9101.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
