Two adult sisters from Kansas were among the four victims killed when an Amtrak train slammed into a dump truck in Missouri two days ago — leaving 150 injured.
One of the survivors confirmed to KSHB 41 News that her mother and aunt were among those who died in Monday’s wreck.
The sisters, who haven’t been named, were also traveling with their mother at the time. It wasn’t immediately clear if the mother was injured.
The driver of the dump truck and another train passenger were also killed, authorities said.
None of the victims have been identified publicly. As many as 150 people were taken to 10 hospitals with their injuries ranging from minor to serious, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.
At least 15 people still remained hospitalized as of Tuesday evening.
The Amtrak train had been traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago when it struck the rear of the truck at a crossing, causing two locomotives and eight cars to derail.
Investigators said they were in the process of downloading recorder information to determine the speed of the train, when the horn was blown and if the emergency brake was deployed.
Some of that information could be released as early as Wednesday, National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer L. Homendy said.
The crossing in the rural area in western Missouri has no lights or other signals to warn of an approaching train, authorities said.
In the wake of the crash, the chief elected official in the county said residents and local leaders have been pushing for a safety upgrade at the railroad crossing for nearly three years.
A spokeswoman for BNSF Railway, who owns the track, declined to comment on “specific conversations” about upgrades to the crossing, citing the ongoing investigation into the deadly crash.
With Post wires
