The Atlantic

A Fatal Derailment in Washington State

A high-speed train traveling between Seattle and Portland crashed Monday morning, killing an unknown number of passengers and leaving coaches dangling from an overpass on Interstate 5.
Source: Washington State Patrol via AP

Updated on December 18 at 3:51 p.m.

A southbound Amtrak train derailed Monday morning south of Tacoma, Washington, leaving an undetermined number of casualties and generating dramatic images of cars dangling off an overpass over Interstate 5.

It was the first day of high-speed service along the line between Seattle and Portland. The reason for the derailment, at around 7:45 a.m. local time, was not immediately clear, and initial explanations and injury accounts aren’t often reliable. Officials said at least 77 people were hospitalized. Amtrak said the train, number 501, had 78 passengers and five crew members aboard.

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