An Amtrak passenger train derailed in northern Vermont on Monday morning while en route from St. Albans, Vermont, to Washington, D.C. At least one car appears to have fallen down an embankment, and seven people were injured as a result of the derailment.
According to Amtrak officials, the train that derailed was the "Vermonter," which runs daily between D.C. and St. Albans.
The train was travelling south when it derailed in Roxbury, Vermont, after striking a rock slide on the tracks, according to a statement from the company. There are no immediate reports of any life-threatening injuries.
We are aware of the derailment of train 55 in VT. Emergency personnel are on the scene & we are assessing the situation. Updates to follow.— Amtrak (@Amtrak) October 5, 2015
While none of the injuries are life threatening, one passenger on the train was seriously injured and had to be airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire.
At a news conference Monday afternoon, officials say rocks from a ledge fell onto the tracks. Gov. Peter Shumlin says, "This was a freak of nature."
Reports of an @Amtrak train derailment in Vermont. Train 55, the Vermonter, last checked in at 10:51am at 0 MPH. pic.twitter.com/zHnRxiRRjY— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) October 5, 2015
One of the first images of the derailment, posted to Twitter by a passenger, appears to show one of the cars down an embankment. The passenger noted that he was "shaken" and that there were only reports of minor injuries.
Train derailment in VT this morning on my way to New Jersey. Im fine and as far as Ive heard only minor injuries. Everyone is shaken tho A photo posted by @kalumakenge on Oct 5, 2015 at 8:29am PDT
Other photos on Twitter show similar scenes. Officials confirmed that one locomotive and one passengers car went over the embankment. Federal investigators are at the scene of the crash conducting an investigation.
Wow.. Parents were just in a train accident in the NE.. They are safe but others injured. pic.twitter.com/xYEMXNJhjY— Brian bell (@BrianABell1980) October 5, 2015
pic.twitter.com/pRQrmX14fl— Brian bell (@BrianABell1980) October 5, 2015
In May, an Amtrak train derailment in Philadelphia left eight dead when the train, travelling from Washington to New York, jumped the tracks. The train was traveling at 102 mph in a 50 mph zone around a dangerous curve.
Updated at 2:30 p.m. EST with more information on the injuries.
Some information from the Associated Press.