At least six people were killed and 200 others sustained injuries in an Amtrak train crash
in Philadelphia on Tuesday night,Train 188, a Northeast Regional, left Washington, D.C. and was headed to New
York when it derailed shortly after 9 p.m. Amtrak said the train was
carrying 238 passengers and five crew members.
A midshipman at the Naval Academy has been identified as
one of the passengers who lost their life in the crash. The
victim's mother has identified him as 20-year-old Justin Zemser of Rockaway
Beach, New York. The Naval Academy says Zesmer was on leave and en route to his
home.Mayor Michael Nutter said, "We will do everything we can to account for everyone who was on that train." NTSB investigators arrived at the crash site around 4:00 a.m. Wednesday to begin their investigation. Robert Sumwalt, a board member with the NTSB, said many first responders are on the scene checking to see if anyone else is inside the rail cars.
The train's "black box" has been recovered and has been sent to the Amtrak Operations Center in Delaware for analysis.
The train's engineer suffered minor injuries and is currently being interviewed by investigators. Sources tell Action News that the 32-year-old engineer was refusing to give a statement until his lawyer arrived.
Sources tell Action News that speed is the focus of the investigation at this preliminary stage.
The NTSB says that there is a forward facing camera at the front of the engine that could provide substantial evidence to the investigation.
Seven people are now confirmed dead, and 11 people are in critical condition and dozens of others were injured.
The accident has closed the nation's busiest rail corridor between New York and Washington as federal investigators begin sifting through the mangled remains to determine what went wrong.
In a statement, President Barack Obama said the derailment "is a tragedy that touches us all."
The president says he and the first lady were "shocked and deeply saddened" to hear of the derailment, and that he is offering prayers to the families who lost loved ones and the passengers beginning to recover.
Family members are searching for a number of passengers who remain unaccounted for. (ASP)