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Breaking News
One Killed in Commuter Train Derailment
Aired January 06, 2003 - 13:24 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to that breaking news story we've been following, the train derailment in Burbank, California. What we know so far is one person is dead after a vehicle collided with this Metrolink train. Charles Feldman on the line with us now. He's at the scene.
Charles, what can you tell us?
CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As you just mentioned, Burbank Police are saying there's at least one confirmed death, and at least 20 injuries of some 50 people that we know of that were on board this Metrolink commuter train that was on its way to Union Station in Los Angeles when it apparently hit a vehicle in Burbank.
And two cars, the lead car and the passenger car right behind it, derailed.
Now I'm standing right in front of the wreck, and I can see several what look to be passengers, and they are on the other side of the police tape, so we don't really have access to them. Some of them have this bewildered look on their faces, as they're just sort of staring at the two cars that have derailed from the track.
I see other people on stretchers. It's hard to tell how extensive their injuries are. But I see at least one person who appears to have a cast on a leg, and I see emergency workers attending to some others.
And I'm counting at least one, two, three, four, at least five different people who are now on stretchers. But they seem to be animated and talking with the various police, and fire and ambulance personnel that are on the scene.
Now, we're told that in about five or six minutes time, Burbank police and Burbank fire people will be having a news conference here to bring everybody up to date. It is unclear at this time whether any passengers remain inside the train. It doesn't, from my vantage point, appear that that's likely but, I do see rescue personnel looking as if they're trying to scour through the one car that's now tipped over to see if there's anybody trapped either inside or, worse yet of course, thrown from the train on to any of the track.
But, again, unclear if anybody is still inside the train, and it's not yet known the extent of the injuries that the 20 people were told have been injured, how extensive they are.
PHILLIPS: Well, Charles,as we're chalking to you, we have a bit of an advantage. We've got choppers that are able to give us an aerial view. Believe it or not, rescue crews are there at certain ends of the train. They are pulling people out, it looks like, of the train cars and treating them right there in sort of a triage situation.
Now I got a question for you, you know, since you pretty much know this area, this intersection of Lincoln Street and San Fernando Boulevard, they're saying this is where the accident occurred. Have you heard anything to whether perhaps this vehicle that hit the train might have run a light, or do you know if there's any type of warning that a train was coming? Have you heard anything?
FELDMAN: No, not yet. But hopefully, when the police and fire personnel have that update that was mentioned in about five minutes time, they may be able to shed some light on that, because, course, that's the key question, why that vehicle on the tracks, and whether it was a mistake on the part of the driver, or whether there was a signal problem. That we do not know.
PHILLIPS: All right. Our Charles Feldman there on the scene in Burbank, California. Thank you very much. If you're just tuning in, at least one person has died. Several other people are injured as this Metrolink commuter train slammed into a vehicle. We are told by police about 9:30 California Time, 12:30 Eastern Time.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 6, 2003 - 13:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to that breaking news story we've been following, the train derailment in Burbank, California. What we know so far is one person is dead after a vehicle collided with this Metrolink train. Charles Feldman on the line with us now. He's at the scene.
Charles, what can you tell us?
CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As you just mentioned, Burbank Police are saying there's at least one confirmed death, and at least 20 injuries of some 50 people that we know of that were on board this Metrolink commuter train that was on its way to Union Station in Los Angeles when it apparently hit a vehicle in Burbank.
And two cars, the lead car and the passenger car right behind it, derailed.
Now I'm standing right in front of the wreck, and I can see several what look to be passengers, and they are on the other side of the police tape, so we don't really have access to them. Some of them have this bewildered look on their faces, as they're just sort of staring at the two cars that have derailed from the track.
I see other people on stretchers. It's hard to tell how extensive their injuries are. But I see at least one person who appears to have a cast on a leg, and I see emergency workers attending to some others.
And I'm counting at least one, two, three, four, at least five different people who are now on stretchers. But they seem to be animated and talking with the various police, and fire and ambulance personnel that are on the scene.
Now, we're told that in about five or six minutes time, Burbank police and Burbank fire people will be having a news conference here to bring everybody up to date. It is unclear at this time whether any passengers remain inside the train. It doesn't, from my vantage point, appear that that's likely but, I do see rescue personnel looking as if they're trying to scour through the one car that's now tipped over to see if there's anybody trapped either inside or, worse yet of course, thrown from the train on to any of the track.
But, again, unclear if anybody is still inside the train, and it's not yet known the extent of the injuries that the 20 people were told have been injured, how extensive they are.
PHILLIPS: Well, Charles,as we're chalking to you, we have a bit of an advantage. We've got choppers that are able to give us an aerial view. Believe it or not, rescue crews are there at certain ends of the train. They are pulling people out, it looks like, of the train cars and treating them right there in sort of a triage situation.
Now I got a question for you, you know, since you pretty much know this area, this intersection of Lincoln Street and San Fernando Boulevard, they're saying this is where the accident occurred. Have you heard anything to whether perhaps this vehicle that hit the train might have run a light, or do you know if there's any type of warning that a train was coming? Have you heard anything?
FELDMAN: No, not yet. But hopefully, when the police and fire personnel have that update that was mentioned in about five minutes time, they may be able to shed some light on that, because, course, that's the key question, why that vehicle on the tracks, and whether it was a mistake on the part of the driver, or whether there was a signal problem. That we do not know.
PHILLIPS: All right. Our Charles Feldman there on the scene in Burbank, California. Thank you very much. If you're just tuning in, at least one person has died. Several other people are injured as this Metrolink commuter train slammed into a vehicle. We are told by police about 9:30 California Time, 12:30 Eastern Time.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
