A crash between an Amtrak passenger train and a CSX freight train in US South Carolina on Sunday killed two people and injured about 70 others, authorities said.
The Amtrak train was heading from New York to Miami with about 139 people on board when the crash happened around 2:45 a.m. near Cayce, AP reported.
The injuries ranged from cuts and scratches to broken bones, Lexington County spokesman Harrison Cahill said.
Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said the two people killed were traveling on the Amtrak train.
The lead engine and several passenger of Amtrak Train 91, which was operating from New York to Miami, derailed after coming "in contact" with the freight train, Amtrak said in an emailed statement. There were eight crew members and approximately 140 passengers on board.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is deploying investigators to the scene.
The crash happened near a stretch of tracks by a rail yard about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Columbia, where several track spurs split off for freight cars to be unloaded. Authorities said they have not determined if both trains were moving or if the Amtrak train was diverted on to a side track.
Add new comment
Read our comment policy before posting your viewpoints