Firefighters are calling the derailment of a Metrolink train in California a “multi-casualty” incident
A Metrolink train derailed in Ventura County, California this morning, killing at least one person and injuring at least 30 others. Local media are reporting that the train smashed into a tractor trailer that was on the tracks before detailing.
Metrolink train derails in Oxnard
According to CBS Local, the train that derailed was the VC Line 102 train. It was on the tracks in Oxnard near Rice St. and 5th Ave. heading south toward Loss Angeles.
The truck the Metrolink train collided with burst into flames, and four of the trains cars ran off the tracks. According to officials with Metrolink, at least 30 people have been injured. The severity of the injuries is not known yet at this time, although the Ventura County Star is reporting at least two head injuries and an asthma attack. The Ventura County Fire Dept. is calling the accident a “multi-casualty” incident.
According to the Los Angeles Times, emergency personnel were treating the victims of the train derailment on the scene. Workers reportedly spread out tarps and laid the victims on them. Some victims could also be seen on stretchers being rolled into ambulances.
Fatalities in the train derailment unclear
KTLA is reporting that one person may have been killed in the accident. The TV station reports that officials found fatalities in the truck that the Metrolink train smashed into. However, later an official with the Oxnard Police Dept. said they didn’t know if anyone was killed in the derailment.
It’s unclear how many passengers were on the train when it derailed. Police closed the southbound lanes on Rice. Ave. at Sturgis Rd. in Oxnard and northbound lanes at Channel Islands, Blvd. Officials with Metrolink say the accident will cause major delays in its service in Ventura County and advise all passengers to check for updates on the train schedules. The train operator is publishing updates on its official Twitter account.
