Two people were killed and 35 injured Sunday morning when an Amtrak train struck a backhoe and derailed south of Philadelphia, according to authorities.
Seven crew members and 341 passengers were on the train traveling from New York to Savannah, Georgia, when the lead engine disconnected from the tracks in Chester at about 8 a.m. according to Amtrak.
FRA investigators have arrived on scene of Amtrak incident near Chester, Pa.
— The FRA (@USDOTFRA) April 3, 2016
The pair who died were Amtrak employees, NBC Philadelphia reported.
Passengers said the collision between the train and the backhoe, followed by the derailment caused a fireball and a plume of smoke.
“There was an explosion, then a fire, then the windows busted out,” said Linton Holmes, a 15-year-old from Wilson, North Carolina, who was riding in the back of the train. Holmes said he saw some people bloodied, but their injuries looked “minor.”
Stephanie Burroughs, another passenger on the train, told NBC News that those around her were relieved the cars didn’t flip over. “We immediately thought this is a train derailment. But then we stayed upright,” Burroughs said.
Northeast corridor service between Wilmington, North Carolina, and Philadelphia will be suspended until at least Sunday afternoon, Amtrak said.
Individuals with questions about their friends and family on train 89 should call Amtrak’s Emergency Hotline at 800.523.9101. NTSB is sending a team of investigators to investigate today’s accident near Chester, PA involving an AMTRAK train. Authorities haven’t officially yet determined the cause of that derailment but have said the train was traveling twice the speed limit. This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com.
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