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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

1 dead, dozens hurt after Metro car fills with smoke

A woman riding on a Metro train died Monday and 83 other passengers were taken to hospitals, at least two in critical condition, after the train abruptly stopped, went dark and filled with smoke in a tunnel in downtown Washington, authorities said.

Scores of riders were aboard the Virginia-bound Yellow Line train, which had just left the L’Enfant Plaza station, when it came to a halt about 150 feet into the tunnel, according to Metro officials and several people who were aboard the train.

Passengers said the darkened cars quickly filled with smoke. Several riders said as much as an hour went by before firefighters arrived and led them out of the cars, escorting them back to the station. Meanwhile, while the passengers waited in the smoke-filled cars, many were choking and some lost consciousness, witnesses said.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will be some big money lawsuits coming from this. DC property taxes going up.

Anonymous said...

Makes you wonder if this was a trial run. Terrorists sent a member into a local police station with a loaded weapon in Baltimore to see what security was like. Was this just a test??

Anonymous said...

Must have been terrifying for those trapped since this came with the Paris massacre on people's minds.

Anonymous said...

Metro is not part of D.C. It is its own multi jurisdictional organization. Only thing going up will be the fares.

Anonymous said...

I was on that line Sunday... Shew close one.

Cody Croswell said...

I have a question ( it may be a stupid one as I have never been on a train- at least a "metro" train- and live in the country)but why didn't they leave the train?? I mean, at least after it become obvious that rescue was not on the way?? I understand that there are risks in wandering around a train tunnel- but with one person dead and people passing out I would think I would take my chances.

Anonymous said...

I was just on that train two weekends ago. Never know when something like this is going to happen.