Death toll rises to four in Missouri Amtrak derailment

Abigail Adcox

June 29, 10:32 AM June 29, 10:32 AM

The death toll in a deadly collision between a dump truck and an Amtrak train at a railroad crossing near Mendon, Missouri, on Monday has risen to four.

Of the four people who died in the incident that led to the train derailing off the tracks, three were passengers on the train and one was the driver of the truck. Approximately 150 others were transported to the hospital for treatment with injuries ranging from minor to serious, the Washington Post reported.

MISSOURI FARMER WARNED RAILWAY ABOUT CROSSING BEFORE AMTRAK DERAILMENT

The incident has prompted an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, dispatching a "14 member go-team" to the crash site. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Monday that staff from the Federal Railroad Administration are also en route to Missouri "to support the investigation."

Investigators are reviewing footage from two forward-facing cameras and the train's event recorder, which determines the train's speed and how the brakes were applied during the derailment, though authorities have indicated there is no reason to believe there were mechanical problems.

The railroad crossing where the collision took place had a setup "common across the country," NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said, adding that "there were no arms, there were no warning lights, [and] there were no bells,” according to the outlet. The Missouri Department of Transportation acknowledged the crossing was identified in a February rail plan for safety improvements, such as lights, gates, and roadway work.

"Our concerns are very focused on this grade crossing, the approach to the grade crossing and survivability after an accident,” Homendy said.

Changes to the crossing will fall to state and local authorities and BNSF Railway, which owns the tracks where it occurred, she said.

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The Southwest Chief train, traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago, was carrying around 275 passengers when its eight cars and two locomotives derailed around 12:42 p.m. Monday, Amtrak confirmed.

Amtrak said it is supporting local authorities and the NTSB's investigation. Passengers aboard the train are being rerouted to their destinations via trains or buses.