A commuter train crashed into the station at a major transit hub for Manhattan at the height of Thursday morning's rush hour, killing at least one person and injuring more than 50.
New Jersey Transit said the crash happened at around 8:45 a.m. and involved a train from the Pascack Valley line that departed from Spring Valley, New York. The line runs through New Jersey's affluent Bergen County and ends in Hoboken, where thousands of commuters take trains or buses into New York City.
The cause of the crash at Hoboken, New Jersey's station was not immediately known. NBC New York said authorities believe the crash may have resulted from operator error but stressed that the investigation was preliminary. The New Jersey Transit was not equipped with the positive train control technology that slows down trains when they exceed the speed limit, NBC News reported. Initial reports indicated that the train did not slow down as it entered the station.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday officials will be looking into the positive train control technology and also for similarities between Thursday morning's incident and a crash that happened in 2011 at the same station, Reuters reported.
One passenger in the first car of the train told NBC 4 New York the train "just felt like it never stopped. It didn't slow down. It didn't brake."
The one confirmed fatality was a woman at the train station, according to Jersey City Medical Center. Earlier, NBC New York reported that three people had died and more than 100 were hurt. The hospital said more than 50 people were being treated there including three in critical condition and 40 "walking wounded." The hospital served as a trauma center for 9/11 and the 2009 Hudson plane landing.
The crash caused extensive damage, and it was not known whether the station would be out of commission for an extended period.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state is working closely with NJ Transit and authorities, as well as all local and federal partners to provide assistance and keep travelers safe.
"My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who were hurt, and I extend my deepest condolences to the families of those whose loved ones were lost in the fatal accident," he said in a statement.
A spokesperson for NTSB said in a news conference that the organization is launching an investigation into the crash.
Passenger Bhagyesh Shah told NBC New York 4 he boarded the train at Secaucus, New Jersey.
"The next thing I know, we are plowing through the platform," Shah said. "It was for a couple seconds, but it felt like an eternity."
He said the first two cars of the train were especially crowded so that passengers could be closer to the Hoboken station.
"I saw a woman pinned under concrete," Shah said. "A lot of people were bleeding; one guy was crying."
The Federal Railroad Administration said investigators were en route to the scene.
Source: @big_Poppa_Chop/Twitter
Carepoint Health Systems, which operates three hospitals in Hudson County, does not have a patient count in its hospitals in Jersey City, Hoboken and Bayonne are standing by.
In a statement, NJ Transit said on Twitter, "Rail service is suspended in & out of HOB due to a train accident at Hoboken station" and "NJT bus & private carriers are honoring NJT rail tickets and passes."
The agency later said on Twitter all PATH subway service at Hoboken was suspended.
Rail service is suspended in &out of HOB due to a train accident at Hoboken station. (1/2)
NJT bus &private carriers are honoring NJT rail tickets and passes. (2/2)
Source: David Richman
The NJ Transit and Hoboken Police did not immediately respond to CNBC for comment. The National Transportation Safety Board did not immediately respond for comment.
The City of Hoboken mayor Dawn Zimmer said on Twitter, "My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected. Thank you for the outpouring of support and to all the first responders on scene."
My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected. Thank you for the outpouring of support and to all the first responders on scene.
Several people took to Twitter to share what they were seeing following the accident:
Massive train crash at #Hoboken Path Station. Injuries reported. Train apparently ran full force into station.
A commuter train ran right through Hoboken Station in NJ just now. https://twitter.com/kfcbarstool/status/781477017183150080 …
Following the #Hoboken train crash this AM. Every medic, cop & firefighter is here. MANY injuries.
Source: David Richman
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