At least 17 people were killed and more than 135 injured when a freight train and commuter train collided outside Los Angeles last night.
Officials say there were 222 people on the Metrolink train and four Union Pacific employees aboard the freight train, which crashed head-on shortly after midnight Irish time.
It is the worst train disaster in Los Angeles history.
The Metrolink commuter car, was left toppled on its side with the train’s engine shoved back inside it. Two other cars in the passenger train remained upright. The Union Pacific freight train’s engine was also turned onto its side, with the rest of the train splayed out like an accordion behind it.
Fire Chief Dennis Barry said during a news conference this morning that firefighters were still in the “rescue and extrication phase,” although he did not indicate whether any victim was known to be alive in the wreckage.
Fire Captain Armando Hogan said there were 82 to 87 critically injured and 20 with minor injuries. Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa said about 135 people were injured.
"This is the worst accident I've ever seen," Mr Villaraigosa said. "Clearly the injuries are going to mount and so are the fatalities."
A city-wide "tactical alert" was called across Los Angeles as rescuers worked into the night to pry the twisted metal apart and reach victims still trapped.
It was not immediately clear why the two trains were on the same track. A spokeswoman for Metrolink said the cause of the crash would be investigated.
The trains collided in the Chatsworth area of the San Fernando Valley.