Metro-North Commuter Train Derails in Bronx
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(NEW YORK) — Multiple people were injured, several fatally, after a Metro-North passenger train derailed in the Bronx borough of New York City on Sunday morning.
Officials have confirmed four fatalities; three of the victims killed were ejected from the impact.
Officials say 63 people are injured; 11 of the injured are in critical condition, six are in serious condition, and 46 people have minor injuries.
The train was headed toward Grand Central station when it derailed near the Spuyten Duyvil Station in the Bronx on a long curved section of the track at around 7:30 a.m., according to Metro-North. All of the train’s cars derailed, with the first car nearly reaching the Hudson River.
According to the MTA, this was an express train, so it was not scheduled to stop at the Spuyten Duyvil station.
Emergency responders used airbags to lift the cars to rescue passengers who were trapped and pinned under the flipped carriages. The rescuers also had to use jacks to prop up and stabilize the carriages so they wouldn’t topple into the river.
NYPD sent divers into the river to look for bodies but there were no rescues in the water.
Frank Tatulli, a passenger on the first car to derail, told WABC-TV said he had managed to get off the train by himself after the derailment but other passengers had to be removed by stretchers.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who arrived at the scene around 9 a.m., said Sunday evening, “I want to thank all the first responders who have been heroic all day long… The emergency services in this state I believe are second to none.”
“What’s most important is we lost four New Yorkers this morning,” Cuomo said. “I’m going to ask all New Yorkers to remember them in your prayers tonight… I think it’s a reminder to all of us that life is a precious gift.”
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. A Senior state official tells ABC News that the crash appears to be an accident.
The NTSB said their investigation will include examining the condition of tracks, the condition of signal system, the mechanical equipment, and the train crew performance.
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