An Amtrak train from Los Angeles to Chicago derailed at Mendon, Missouri, after hitting a dump truck. Around 243 passengers were on board and reports are beginning to arrive regarding fatalities and injuries. 

Meanwhile, Amtrak authorities have urged anyone with questions regarding the accident, who had friends or family on the train, to call their hotline number – 800-523-9101. 

Amtrak, on its website, said “Our Incident Response Team has been activated, and we are deploying emergency personnel to the scene to help support our passengers, our employees and their families with their needs”. 

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Missouri Governor Mike Parson said he was “saddened” by news of the derailment. “We ask for Missourians to join us in praying for all those impacted”, he added. 

As per Amtrak, eight cars and two locomotives were derailed. The police have already labelled it a “large scale event” though authorities are still trying to discern the number of fatalities. 

The Mendon school is serving as a treatment centre for those who sustained minor injuries, CNN reported. First responders and the authorities are on the scene. 

However, the event has shone a light on Amtrak’s history of derailments and accidents, many of which have come after hitting a vehicle at a crossing. Reportedly, this is a common occurrence in the rural areas of the United States, where crossings don’t often have signals or other warning signs about approaching trains. 

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Amtrak trains now come with automatic train control (ATC), which was earlier recommended, to help slow down speeds through improved braking, thus avoiding accidents. 

A day before this incident, an Amtrak train ran into an automobile in Brentwood, California, killing three people. East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Marshal Steve Aubert noted that rural areas see trains travelling at speeds up to 80 miles per hour, often leading to accidents.