Several Amtrak Passengers Killed in Montana Amtrak Derailment
JOPLIN, MONTANA - According to an online news report published on gpb.org, several people were tragically killed last Saturday afternoon in an Amtrak train derailment in Montana.* The Amtrak train travels between Seattle and Chicago. Law enforcement authorities worked to help passengers out of several toppling several train cars.
The Empire Builder Amtrak train derailed at around 4 PM by Joplin, Montana, stated Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams.
The Amtrak train accident scene is approximately 150 miles northeast of Helena and around 30 miles from the Canadian border.
Liberty County Sheriff's Office dispatcher Starr Tyler reported that there had been at least three tragic deaths in the train derailment. She was not able to provide any other details. Amtrak officials confirmed the three deaths and stated that there were several people injured.
According to the news report, the train was transporting around 141 passengers and 16 crew members. The train also consisted of two locomotives and 10 cars. Eight of the ten cars derailed.
One passenger who was traveling to visit her friend in Seattle stated that the derailment awakened her. The woman stated that her first thought was that the train had derailed, and she was afraid that it would happen during her travels.
Residents in the nearby communities rushed to the site of the accident to assist the passengers. Rachel Ghekiere, Chester Councilwoman, stated that she and several other residents helped transport 50 to 60 passengers to a local school. They brought the passengers food and water. A Chester grocery store and a local religious community also brought food, she reported.
Spokesman Eric Weiss reported that the National Transportation Safety Board is sending a 14-member team of specialists and investigators and specialists to investigate the train derailment. According to Weiss, the derailment happened at about 3:55 PM, and no other vehicles or trains were involved in the accident. The NTSB report could take months as investigators collect evidence and interview witnesses.
Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes. To learn more about our injury prevention programs, please visit iridesafe.com. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or a family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.
Source:
https://www.gpb.org/news/2021/09/26/at-least-3-people-killed-in-amtrak-derailment-in-montana