An Amtrak passenger train on America’s East Coast derailed, killing at least five people and injuring scores more.  The #188 was heading north from Washington, DC to New York City and Boston, and met disaster in the middle of its journey near Philadelphia.  Several cars left the track and overturned. 

This happened at night in an undeveloped area, and first responders are having a hard time working in the dark.  They’ve been asking for TV News and Police helicopters to shine as much light as possible on the scene to help them out. 

Passengers say the train wobbled on the track, and then derailed.  People were thrown around inside the cars, striking the metal seats and bars without protection.  At least one car, identified by some as the “quiet car” where mobile phone use is restricted, is in terrible shape.  It’s not known how many of the 243 passengers and crew were in it.

Although America is not really big on trains, this is a heavily traveled corridor running between the country’s most-active cities.  A sitting US Senator had been on the train but got off before the crash, so he was not one of the 243 passengers and crew on board.  But an ex-Congressman and TV commentator was on board but was not injured; he live tweeted several photos from the scene.  A network news producer was also a passenger and uploaded video to social media.