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08:32, 01-Feb-2018
Train carrying US Republicans hits truck, killing one person
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One person was killed when a train carrying Republican members of the US Congress to a retreat in West Virginia collided with a garbage truck on Wednesday, officials said.
The White House said no members of Congress were seriously injured, though the office of Jason Lewis, a first-term congressman from Minnesota, told AFP he had been taken to hospital as a precaution to be checked for a concussion.
The truck was carrying three people, one of whom was killed and another seriously injured, Senator Bill Cassidy said on Twitter.
Cassidy and other members of Congress who are doctors tended to the injured until emergency responders arrived.
A scene tweeted by House Republican Greg Walden.
A scene tweeted by House Republican Greg Walden.
"There is one confirmed fatality and one serious injury. There are no serious injuries among members of Congress or their staff," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected by this incident."
Train operator Amtrak said in a statement that local law enforcement was investigating the scene in Crozet, Virginia.
House Republican Greg Walden tweeted a photograph of the scene, showing people standing off the train tracks next to a badly damaged truck, with debris strewn on the ground.
"We're fine, but our train hit a garbage truck. Members with medical training are assisting the drivers of the truck," Walden said.
A scene tweeted by Congressman Jeff Denham
A scene tweeted by Congressman Jeff Denham
Another lawmaker, Congressman Jeff Denham, tweeted a photograph of the mangled front of the Amtrak train.
The accident quickly became a security concern for police and security personnel tasked with guarding members of Congress, as lawmakers jumped off the disabled train to aid the injured.
Republican members of the House of Representatives and the Senate left Washington earlier Wednesday, the morning after Trump delivered his maiden State of the Union speech before Congress. They were bound for the historic Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, for their annual retreat.
11221km
Source(s): AFP