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CNN Live At Daybreak

Federal Investigators Will Begin Probe on Derailment of Amtrak Train in Florida

Aired April 19, 2002 - 06:09   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: There is another mystery out there this morning. Federal investigators will begin their probe today on the derailment of that Amtrak train in north Florida. Six people were killed, and many, many were injured.

For an update now, we want to go live to CNN's Elaine Quijano, who is in Seville, Florida. Elaine, what can you tell us?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol. It is an unbelievable sight that stretches for about half a mile behind me. Dozens and dozens of railcars littered across the tracks after the derailment that authorities say killed at least six people and injured more than 150 others.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): It was just after 5:00 in the afternoon, when Amtrak auto train No. 52 jumped the tracks roughly 45 miles north of Orlando. All but six of the 41 cars derailed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

QUIJANO (on camera): What were you thinking?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were thinking get back, that's it.

QUIJANO (voice-over): The train was headed from the Orlando area to northern Virginia with at least 425 passengers and 28 crewmembers on board. For a time, about 75 people were trapped inside the wreckage; others got out any way they could.

As for how the derailment happened, Amtrak officials say the conductor had not reported any problems before the crash, but state troopers say their investigation so far may show something else.

LT. CHUCK WILLIAMS, FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL: We are pretty certain that there was an emergency stop attempted on the train, and of course, that caused the derailment. We don't know why the emergency stop was attempted.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now, investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are now on the scene. As for the railroad tracks, they are owned, operated and maintained by the CSX Corporation. A company spokesperson says the last time they were inspected as about eight hours before the derailment.

In Putnam County, Florida, I am Elaine Quijano -- Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: Elaine, can you tell us more about the people who were killed? Were they all passengers?

QUIJANO: At this point, we don't have a breakdown of that. What I can tell you is that among the injuries, we talked about more than 150 people injured. At last word, we heard that more than a dozen, somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 to 15 people were in critical condition. Those folks were taken to various area hospitals here, but so far no exact breakdown on who the six killed were -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And they got hurt by just being violently thrown, because when a train car derails, I can only imagine what that might feel like.

QUIJANO: That's exactly right, and if you see behind me just some of the wreckage, it's impossible to describe here, impossible to show you in just this picture. You really have to see for yourself. It's an amazing sight really to think that the force, which would be required to create this kind of scene, and to think that people were actually inside, it really is amazing that anybody (UNINTELLIGIBLE) out of there.

COSTELLO: Yes. And there are no seatbelts on trains, so you would be thrown, yes. All right. Elaine Quijano reporting live for us from Seville, Florida this morning -- thank you.

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