By Railfan & Railroad Staff
MENDON, Mo. — At least three people were killed Monday when Amtrak’s eastbound Southwest Chief derailed in rural Missouri after hitting a truck.
The New York Times reports that two people on board the train and the occupant of the truck were among those killed. The derailment occurred near Mendon, about 100 miles northeast of Kansas City.
According to Amtrak, two locomotives and eight cars derailed with 243 passengers and 12 crew members on board. Some people have been taken to area hospitals. Just how many people were injured is unknown at this time.
The train I was traveling on derailed on the way to Iowa near Mendon Missouri pic.twitter.com/YndSEEXkto
— Dax McDonald (@cloudmarooned) June 27, 2022
“We’re just getting initial information. It’s a terrible situation,” Gov. Mike Parson told the Kansas City Star and other media outlets shortly after 3 p.m. local time.
Amtrak has established a hotline for people with friends and family who may have been on the train and have questions. That number is 1-800-523-9101. Amtrak officials said an incident response team was being sent to the area to help passengers.
This story will be updated when more information becomes available.