At least 2 dead and 116 injured as passenger and freight train collide in South Carolina

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February 4, 2018 4:02 PM

The Amtrak passenger train was traveling between New York and Miami with 148 passengers and eight crew members on board.

An Amtrak passenger train collided with a CSX freight train in South Carolina.
Two people died and 116 others were injured.
The lead engine of Amtrak train number 91 derailed, as well as some passenger cars.
President Donald Trump is aware of the incident and the White House's "thoughts and prayers" are with those involved.
It is the fifth crash involving an Amtrak train in a matter of weeks.

At least two people died and 116 others were injured when a passenger train collided with a freight rail service in South Carolina, US.

The Amtrak and CSX services crashed at 2.35 a.m. local time (7.35 a.m. GMT) near the city of Columbia. The Amtrak passenger train was traveling between New York and Miami when it hit the stationary CSX train.

In a press briefing, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster confirmed that the fatalities were two of the eight Amtrak staff on board.

All 148 passengers we removed from the train soon after the crash, and their injuries range from broken bones to minor wounds.

Those injured have been taken to local hospitals, while other passengers were given shelter at the Pine Ridge Middle School, where the Red Cross assisted.

In a statement, Amtrak said the lead engine of train 91 derailed, as well as some passenger cars. It said people with questions about the accident should contact: 1.800.523.9101. CSX is yet to comment.

As dawn broke, the scale of the accident became clear. Maayan Schechter, a reporter for South Carolina's The State Newspaper, posted this video from the scene showing a "flipped over and crushed" carriage:

Two hours after the crash, deputy White House press secretary Lindsay Walters said: "The president has been briefed on the train accident in South Carolina and is receiving regular updates. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected by this incident."

The president also tweeted his condolences Sunday afternoon.

My thoughts and prayers are... @ Donald J. Trump

It is the fifth crash involving an Amtrak train in a matter of weeks.

Just last week, a service carrying Republican Congress members, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, to a retreat in West Virginia collided with a garbage truck. The truck driver was killed.

In December, five were killed when an Amtrak train derailed and was left dangling over a major highway in Washington state.

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