Amtrak Crash Video: Dramatic Footage From Inside Train Shows Chaos After Deadly Derailment
An Amtrak train derailment in Philadelphia left six people dead and more than 140 injured, and now dramatic video from inside the train itself shows a scene of chaos as injured passengers tried to make it to safety.
The train was carrying 238 passengers and five crew members when it derailed and rolled onto its side in Philadelphia’s Port Richmond neighborhood. The death toll was initially listed at five, but rose to six overnight when another patient died of their injuries. Eight people remained in critical condition on Wednesday morning.
Passengers said the train derailment came quickly, leaving them little time to prepare themselves.
“All of a sudden it felt like the brakes were hit hard and then our car,” said Michael Black, one of the passengers. “We were third from the last, just slowly started going over to the side. I tried to just brace my arm against it and then just got off.”
Daniel Hernandez, who lives near the derailment site, said it sounded like “a bunch of shopping carts crashing into each other.” He then heard screams.
Officials were still trying to sort through the wreckage overnight on Wednesday and said some of the deceased remain unidentified.
“I’ve never seen anything so devastating,” said Philadelphia Fire Department Deputy Commissioner Jesse Wilson. “They’re in pretty bad shape. You can see that they’re completely, completely derailed from the track. They’ve been destroyed completely. The aluminum shell has been destroyed and they’ve been overturned completely.”
One of the passengers, Yameen Allworld, shared video of the rescue attempts. Yameen, a hip hop producer who works with the band The Roots, was seen helping some injured passengers to safety.
Yameen wasn’t the one one to capture dramatic images from inside the derailed Amtrak train. Patrick Murphy also shared a picture of the rescue efforts going on inside the train.
pic.twitter.com/GvooK8lq58 — Patrick J. Murphy (@PatrickMurphyPA) May 13, 2015
NBC Nightly News producer Janelle Richards was also aboard the train when it derailed and posted her own harrowing video of rescue attempts. Someone can be heard panting as the injured try to make it to safety.
Video I took moments after crash. People trying to open the door and get off the train. pic.twitter.com/fJ2bxXfmhG
— Janelle Richards (@Janelle_News) May 13, 2015
More dramatic video continues to emerge as rescue and clean-up attempts continue into the day on Wednesday.
[Image via Getty Images/Win McNamee]
