New York, Dec 1 (IANS) At least four people were killed and 67 others injured when a passenger train derailed in New York City, prompting a major emergency services response.
Firefighters and emergency rescuers swarmed the scene near Spuyten Duyvil station in the Bronx, where at least two train cars had flipped on their sides, CNN reported citing officials. One car was just feet away from the Harlem river.
Police divers were in the water, hours after the crash searching for survivors, CNN affiliate WABC reported. Authorities believe all the passengers have been accounted for, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters.
It was unclear how fast the train was travelling and how many passengers were on board. “In terms of causes, we don’t know exactly what happened,” Cuomo said.
Federal investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were headed to the scene, he said.
The train came off the tracks just as it was coming around a sharp curve shortly after 7 a.m., fire officials told CNN affiliate WCBS. Of eight train cars, seven were off the tracks.
The train operator — who is among the injured — told investigators he applied brakes to the train, but it didn’t slow down, a law enforcement official on the scene and familiar with the investigation said.
At least two of the dead appeared to have been ejected from the Metro-North train, a source familiar with the investigation and rescue told CNN.
Service was suspended Sunday on part of the Hudson Line, Metro-North said on Twitter.