(CNN)Three people are dead after an Amtrak train derailed in Montana on Saturday afternoon, the Liberty County Sheriff’s office said in a statement to CNN.Authorities would not speak on the number of injured or the extent of their injuries.Seven cars from Amtrak’s Empire Builder train 7/27 derailed near Joplin, Montana, injuring an undisclosed number of passengers, Amtrak said in a statement. The train consisted of two locomotives and 10 cars.The incident occurred around 4 p.m. local time, and there were approximately 146 passengers and 16 crew members on board, Amtrak said in an additional statement Saturday night.”We are deeply saddened to learn local authorities are now confirming that three people have lost their lives as a result of this accident. There are also reported injuries among the passengers and crew members travelling on the train. Amtrak is working with the local authorities to transport those who were injured to medical care, and to safely evacuate everyone else at the scene,” said the statement.Amtrak has activated an Incident Response Team and “are sending emergency personnel and Amtrak leadership to the scene to help support our passengers, our employees and their families with their needs,” the statement said.
The world is watching as the Biden administration takes oThe National Transportation Safety Board is sending a “Go Team” to investigate, the agency said Saturday night.The Empire Builder travels between Chicago-St.Paul/Minneapolis-Spokane-Portland/Seattle, according to Amtrak’s website, and offers passengers a chance to “experience the rugged splendor of the American West.”Traveling between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest along major portions of the Lewis and Clark Trail, the mighty Empire Builder takes you on an exciting adventure through majestic wilderness, following in the footsteps of early pioneers,” the website adds.This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
CNN’s Gregory Clary and Alta Spells contributed to this report.
