UPDATED AT 6:45 P.M.
Injuries have been reported as an Amtrak train has derailed in Chariton County.
According to information provided to the media by Amtrak, the accident happened at 1:42 p.m. on June 27.
The derailment happened after the train hit a dump truck at a public crossing in Mendon.
Several cars derailed on Train 4. The train was going from Los Angeles to Chicago.
In a tweet, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said eight train cars derailed.
Amtrak said there are about 243 passengers on the train. A spokesperson from MU Health Care confirmed three patients were taken by ambulance and helicopter to its hospital. It’s not clear how many people in total were injured.
“Local authorities are currently assisting customers and we have deployed Amtrak resources to assist,” Amtrak said.
The National Transportation Safety Board has confirmed that they are investigating.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson posted on Facebook following the accident: “We are saddened to hear of the Amtrak train derailment in Chariton County this afternoon. Missouri Department of Public Safety, Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers, and other emergency management personnel are responding. We ask Missourians to join us in praying for all those impacted.”
UPDATE: According to a spokesperson at Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall, as of 4:48 p.m., it had received six patients.
The spokesperson adds, “We are prepared for additional nonlife-threatening injuries.”
Condition details are not available at this time; however, the hospital has established a process for discharging patients, and Saline County Emergency Management Director Tony Day is coordinating with the Marshall Ministerial Alliance to establish temporary housing for any individuals from the derailment who are in need.
Individuals with questions about their friends and family who were traveling aboard this train should call 1 (800) 523-9101.
As of 5:30 p.m., Fitzgibbon Hospital was informed that all injured patients were transported to hospitals in the region. The hospital has returned to normal operations at this time.
KMMO will update this story as more information becomes available.
CLICK HERE to view video from Mendon AMTRAK derailment.
Photos and video courtesy Rob Nightingale