3 Dead After Amtrak Train Collides with Dump Truck in Missouri: 'Happened Like Slow Motion'

An Amtrak train carrying over 200 people derailed in Missouri on Monday afternoon while traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago, the company confirmed.

The accident happened around 12:40 p.m. near Mendon, Missouri, after the train collided with a truck that “was obstructing a public crossing,” Amtrak said in a statement published on itswebsite. The train had approximately eight cars.

“Local authorities are currently assisting customers,” the company said. “Our Incident Response Team has been activated, and we are deploying emergency personnel to the scene to help support our passengers, our employees and their families with their needs.”

PEOPLE has reached out to local authorities for updates. Amtrak did not reveal how many people were injured.

During apress conference, Missouri State Highway Patrol Corporal Justin Dunn said there are at least three confirmed deaths as of Monday afternoon: two on the train and one in the truck that was hit.

Passenger Robert Nightingale toldCNNthe train started to sway moments before it came off the track.

“It all happened like slow motion. It started to rock and, and rock, and then flicker, and then it just all of a sudden — all this dust was through my window,” Nightingale told the outlet.

The Amtrak logo on the side of a train.STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty

“It hit something major to cause … every car to go off,” he added.

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt called the news of the crash “terrible” and said that he was “ready to assist with any federal resources that may be needed.”

“We are thinking of all those affected and grateful for our first responders,” he said in atweet.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson commented on the accident in a post onTwitter.

“We are saddened to hear of the Amtrak train derailment in Chariton County this afternoon,” he said. “@MoPublicSafety, @MSHP troopers, and other emergency management personnel are responding. We ask Missourians to join us in praying for all those impacted.”

The accident happened just a day after another Amtrak train collided with a car in California, leaving three dead and two injured,ABC Newsreported.

source: people.com