An Amtrak train derailment in north-central Monatan killed three people and left many injured; seven of them were hospitalised, too. Officials said that a team of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reached the site of the accident.

The westbound Empire Builder was en route from Chicago to Seattle when it left the tracks about 4 pm Saturday near Joplin, a town of about 200.

The NTSB spokesperson Eric Weiss said that a 14-member team, including investigators and specialists in railroad signals, would look into the cause of the derailment.

The train was carrying about 141 passengers and 16 crew members and had two locomotives and 10 cars, eight of which derailed, Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said.

Law enforcement said the officials from the NTSB, Amtrak and BNSF had arrived at the accident scene just west of Joplin, where the tracks after a local dialled 911 and informed the authorities about the accident.

Several rail cars could still be seen on their sides.

The accident scene is about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northeast of Helena and about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the Canadian border.

Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn expressed condolences and said the company is working with the NTSB, Federal Railroad Administration and local law enforcement, sharing their “sense of urgency” to determine what happened.

“The NTSB will identify the cause or causes of this accident, and Amtrak commits to taking appropriate actions to prevent a similar accident in the future,” Flynn said in the statement.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said BNSF was readying replacement track for when the NTSB gives the go-head. “BNSF has assured me they can get the line up and running in short order,” he said.

Matt Jones, a BNSF Railway spokesperson said at a news conference that the track where the accident occurred was last inspected Thursday.

Because of the derailment, Sunday’s westbound Empire Builder from Chicago will terminate in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the eastbound train will originate in Minnesota.

Liberty County Sheriff Nick Erickson said the names of the dead would not be released until relatives are notified.

(With inputs from Associated Press)