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One person was killed when an Amtrak-run chartered train carrying Republican lawmakers to a GOP retreat hit a garbage truck in U.S. state of Virginia on Wednesday.
"There is one confirmed fatality and one serious injury," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. "There are no serious injuries among members of Congress or their staff."
The victim's identity was not released.
Sanders said that President Donald Trump has been fully briefed on the situation and is receiving regular updates.
A statement from Amtrak said the crash occurred at 11:20 a.m. in Crozet, Virginia, a town about 180 kilometers southwest of Washington, D.C., and about 140 kilometers east of White Sulphur Springs, state of West Virginia, where the GOP lawmakers were heading.
The train departed Union Station in Washington, D.C. at about 8:30 a.m.
Two Amtrak crew members and two passengers were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries, according to the train service provider.
"Local law enforcement is investigating the incident and crews are inspecting equipment for damage," the statement added.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to the scene.
At around 1:15 p.m., the train had left Crozet and was heading back to a station in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Senior Administration officials are in regular contact with Amtrak and state and local authorities, according to the White House.
Several members of Congress on the train confirmed the collision in different tweets earlier and that they and their family were not injured.
"The train carrying GOP members to our retreat had a collision," Representative Bradley Byrne tweeted shortly after the incident. "Security and doctors on board are helping secure the scene and treat injuries."
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who described the collusion as a "scary moment," tweeted that there were three people in the truck. "One is dead. One I am told is being transported but has minor injuries. One has serious injuries," he added.
House Speaker Paul Ryan was on the train with his family, and all were unharmed.
"Today's incident was a terrible tragedy," the Wisconsin Republican tweeted later. "We are grateful for the first responders who rushed to the scene and we pray for the victims and their families."
Several lawmakers who are doctors tended to crash victims, according to local reports.
The front half of the truck was crushed, while the train's front was also damaged, pictures of the scene published on social media showed.
The Republicans lawmakers were scheduled to spend the next few days at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs for their annual issues conference that starts Wednesday and ends Friday.
The organization that's hosting a retreat for congressional Republicans said the event will go on with an adjusted program in the wake of the train accident.
Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to speak to them later Wednesday and the president is expected to address the event Thursday.
Pence tweeted that he and the president will continue to monitor the situation closely and that he will be heading to West Virginia later.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
