2 Dead, 116 Injured In South Carolina Amtrak Crash

<p>At least two people were killed and 116 others injured when a train traveling from New York to Miami struck a freight train Sunday morning, authorities said. The crash left thousands of gallons of oil spilled at the scene. </p>

Sunday, February 4th 2018, 10:48 am

By: News On 6

2 Dead, 116 Injured In South Carolina Amtrak Crash

At least two people were killed and 116 others injured when a train traveling from New York to Miami struck a freight train Sunday morning, authorities said. The crash left thousands of gallons of oil spilled at the scene.

The two people killed were later identified as Amtrak personnel, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said in a news conference Sunday.

Lexington County spokesman Harrison Cahill said the trains collided in Cayce around 2:45 a.m. Sunday. Cahill couldn't say if the two people killed were on the passenger train or the freight train. He said the injuries ranged from scratches to broken bones.

#BREAKING: Train collision and derailment near Charleston Highway and Pine Ridge Rd. More details to come. pic.twitter.com/SchyVAeWqi
— Lexington Sheriff (@LCSD_News) February 4, 2018

Amtrak says the lead engine and a few passenger cars derailed on Amtrak 91. The crash happened near a stretch of tracks by a rail yard about 10 miles south of Columbia, where several track spurs split off for freight cars to be unloaded. Authorities said they haven't determined if both trains were moving or if the Amtrak train was diverted on to a side track.

Lexington County Sheriff's spokesman Adam Myrick said deputies were taking the uninjured in patrol cars to a shelter.

Eight crew members were on board the Amtrak train, along with approximately 139 passengers. A phone line has been set up for people who have inquiries about passengers, at 800-523-9101.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was traveling to the scene to investigate the crash.

President Trump had been briefed on the crash and is receiving regular updates, Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters said Sunday morning. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected by this incident," Walters said in a statement. Mr. Trump is currently at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

He later tweeted his condolences to victims.

My thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims involved in this mornings train collision in South Carolina. Thank you to our incredible First Responders for the work they’ve done!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2018

In an early morning press conference, local authorities said that 5,000 gallons of fuel had spilled in the crash, but that hazmat teams had been dispatched and the fuel was thought not to be a danger to the public.

The crash comes several days after an Amtrak train carrying Republican members of Congress hit a garbage truck in Virginia. One of the truck's passengers was killed in the collision.