This week, the 7th anniversary of 9/11, has been a tough one. Last night, while holding my breath and hoping for the best of those battling the forces of Hurricane Ike, we got side-swiped by the communter train disaster in Los Angeles, where I make my home. At around 4:30 PM, a Metrolink train slammed into a freight train.
At this time, 18 are dead and 135 are injured, some critically. The death toll will likely rise through the day as rescue worker continue to go through the wreckage. The bottom passenger level of the two-tiered communter car that physically collided with the much slower moving freight train is still being excavated.
"They are pulling things apart very carefully because, if there is a miracle, they don't want to undo it," said Lt. John Romero of the Los Angeles Police Department.
I heard on the radio a short while ago that they have more people to recover. There's no word on the number, but each passenger car is capable of seating 155 riders and standing is allowed. In the same report said there are still 25 families at a local high school waiting to hear about their loved one.
May those families soon hear good news.
The rescue was an amazing multidepartment effort that went from a lone fire crew battling a fire just minutes after the crash to 100's of police, firemen and medical personnel a few breaths later. A triage area was quickly set up using 3 different colors of blankets representing the degree of injury of each victim. Those blankets were empty with 2 hours.
Authorities said this morning that about 100 people were taken to hospitals -- 60 by ambulance and 40 by helicopter. All 12 trauma centers in Los Angeles County handled patients, authorities said.
This day forward will reveal the full scope of this tragedy. It won't be a small one. With all the hearts and prayers focused on the Gulf coast residents, I'm asking that you send a little of that goodness out our way.
Thank you.
LA Times story here.