A train derailed in New York’s Bronx borough
early today, killing four and injuring 63, a spokesman for the New York City
fire department said.
The accident took place in the Riverdale
section of the Bronx, said New York City fire department spokesman said. The
department first learned of the accident via a 911 emergency call that came in
at 7.20am from the scene, he said.
At least five of the seven passenger cars that
were being pushed by a diesel locomotive derailed.
The US National Transportation Safety Board is
sending a team to the scene that should arrive around noon local time, a
spokeswoman.
The safety board already has two open
investigations of Metro-North accidents that happened earlier this year.
The crash happened in a curving section of
track near where the Hudson and Harlem rivers meet but none of the derailed
cars were submerged in water.
The derailment adds to Metro-North accidents this
year. Two Metro-North trains collided near Bridgeport, Connecticut on May 17th,
injuring dozens of passengers and leading to a National Transportation Safety
Board investigation.
The board also probed a rail worker death on
the railroad 11 days later. “We’ll be looking for any similarities between this
one and the one in Bridgeport,” Nantel said.
NTSB member Earl Weener will lead the
investigation of today’s crash. Spuyten Duyvil senator Richard Blumenthal, a
Connecticut Democrat, has said the earlier accidents show rail safety needs
more money and attention.
Today’s derailment happened about 100 feet
north of the Spuyten Duyvil station, which the southbound express train had
passed. It left Poughkeepsie, New York, at 5.54am and was due to arrive at Grand
Central Station at 7.43am.
Service on Metro-North’s Hudson Line has
suspended in both directions between Croton-Harmon station and Grand Central
Terminal.
