3 Dead, Others Injured After Amtrak Derailment in Montana

Three people are dead and five others were hospitalized after an Amtrak train traveling from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest derailed in a remote part of Montana on Saturday afternoon. According to Amtrak, eight cars from Amtrak’s Empire Builder Train 7/27 headed westbound to Seattle/Portland derailed around 4 p.m. near Joplin, Montana. The train consisted of two locomotives and 10 cars with about 141 passengers and 16 crew members aboard.

According to Amanda Frickel, the Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator for Hill County Montana, injured passengers were taken to hospitals in Havre, Shelby, Great Falls and Fort Benton by ambulance and those in critical condition were flown for treatment. Amtrak activated an incident response team and sent emergency personnel and Amtrak leadership to the scene to help support those involved. The cause of the derailment is being investigated.