Philadelphia Amtrak Derailment Kills 6 And Injures Over 140

Fatal Amtrak Derailment In Philadelphia Claims Six Lives

This is really scary. An Amtrak train derailed in Philadelphia last night injuring over a hundred people and killing six.

According to NY Daily News reports:

At least six people were killed when a New York City-bound Amtrak train derailed at a junction bend in northeast Philadelphia on Tuesday night, officials said.

More than 140 passengers were injured, and at least eight of them were reported to be in critical condition at area hospitals, according to authorities at the scene and hospital officials.

Five people were reported dead in the hours after the 9:38 p.m. crash, and a sixth person died overnight of a “massive chest injury,” according to Herbert Cushing, chief medical officer of Temple University Hospital, said Wednesday morning.

Train 188, Amtrak’s Northeast Regional service, left Washington, D.C., for a three-and-a-half hour trip and was scheduled to arrive at New York’s Penn Station by 10:34 p.m. It was carrying 238 riders and five crew.

The front of the train had entered a turn at Frankford Junction, in the working-class Philly neighborhood of Port Richmond, when the cars reportedly started to shake and then came to a sudden stop and derailed, according to reports. The cause of the derailment was not known as of early Wednesday.

Six cars and the engine went off the tracks, a fire official said, and the lead car was nothing more than a mass of mangled metal when it finally came to rest.

“Most people were able to walk off this train; many were transported (to area hospitals),” Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said at a press conference. He added that was not clear whether all passengers and crew were accounted for.

The tragedy led to the complete suspension of Amtrak service between New York and Philly. “There’s no circumstance under which there would be any Amtrak service this week through Philadelphia,” Mayor Nutter said Tuesday night, citing the high level of damage.

“This was an absolute disastrous mess,” Nutter added. “I have never seen anything like it in my life.”

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of life from Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188 that derailed north of Philadelphia Tuesday evening,” Amtrak said in a statement.

Wow. Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and the families of those killed. This was all over social media last night. Peep some photos from former Congressman Patrick J. Murphy below as well as a video from Philly hip-hop producer Yameen AllWorld.

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