Deaths after US train derails on to highway in Washington

Last updated: 18 December 2017, 6:31 pm

A train has derailed outside of Tacoma, Washington state, with at least four carriages falling off the track and a number of fatalities.

The Amtrak cars fell from an overpass on to the I-5 highway. One was upside down.

Sheriff department spokesman Ed Troyer confirmed people had died, and that a number of people are still trapped on the train.

The cause of the derailment is not known at this time. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

A number of media outlets from the area have said the accident happened on inaugural run of a new high-speed rail line.

The crash occurred at around 7.30am local time, about 45 minutes into train 501's journey between Portland and Seattle.

It was travelling at around 80mph (130kmh) before the crash, with just under 100 people on board.

Photos from scene of amtrak passenger train derailment pic.twitter.com/gd09MzLCC6

— Pierce Co Sheriff (@PierceSheriff) December 18, 2017

The incident happened near DuPont, which is southwest of Tacoma.