Former congressman tweets from inside derailed Amtrak train
Amtrak Regional Train 188 en route from Washington, D.C., to New York partially derailed Tuesday night in Philadelphia, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens.
Between eight and 10 cars went off the tracks near Frankford Junction in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. 238 passengers and 5 crew members were on board at the time, according to Amtrak officials.
Among the passengers was former Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), who was able to tweet shortly after the incident to inform his followers that he was “ok” and “helping others.”
In a subsequent tweet, Murphy posted a photo of first responders assisting injured passengers inside the train.
— Patrick J. Murphy (@PatrickMurphyPA) May 13, 2015
@Amtrak @msnbc @NBCNews pray for these passengers. pic.twitter.com/mksZNy7eqo
— Patrick J. Murphy (@PatrickMurphyPA) May 13, 2015
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) also traveled aboard Train 188 Tuesday night, but exited at the Wilmington station, about 40 miles from the accident site.
“I am grateful to be home safe and sound in Wilmington, and my heart goes out to everyone involved in the crash on @AmtrakNEC #188 tonight,” Sen. Carper tweeted.
Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter arrived on the scene around 10:30 p.m. as search and rescue operations continue. Amtrak service between Philadelphia and New York City has been suspended until further notice.
“It is an absolute, disastrous mess,” Mayor Nutter told reporters.
— This post was updated at 7:00 a.m.
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