Sen. Pat Toomey on Wednesday described the site of a devastating Amtrak train crash in Philadelphia the night before that left seven people dead and more than 200 injured as "a horrific and heartbreaking scene" as federal transportation officials announced that preliminary data showed that the locomotive had been traveling more than 100 mph before the wreck.
"My prayers go out to the people who lost their lives in this terrible tragedy, to those who were injured, to all of their families," the first-term Republican said at an afternoon news conference with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and other officials. "I also want to take a moment to express my appreciation to the first responders, the men and women of this city's police and fire forces who have responded with such professionalism."
The Amtrak train, traveling north from Washington to New York,
ran off the rails shortly after 9 p.m. Nutter announced Wednesday that a seventh person had been found dead — and more than 200 were injured and treated at the scene and at area hospitals.
Federal accident investigators say an Amtrak train was going over 100 mph prior to a derailment that killed seven people and injured about 200 others in Philadelphia.
Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday afternoon on Twitter that:
An analysis by The Associated Press showed that the train was moving at about 107 mph just before it entered the curve where the speed limit was just 50 mph.
The speed limit is 70 mph just before the curve and 50 mph along the curve itself, the Federal Railroad Administration told AP.
The news organization's analysis of video from a surveillance camera located just before the bend in the tracks found that the train was going well over the speed limit just before the wreck, which took place beyond camera range, about three seconds after the train passed by.
Philadelphia police officials said the train's engineer declined to provide a statement to investigators. The engineer, whose name was not released, also had an attorney when he left a meeting with investigators.
Nutter declined to speak on the matter when questioned by reporters.
The dead included an AP employee and a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy. The accident occurred not far from the scene of one of the nation's deadliest train wrecks more than 70 years ago.
"We are heartbroken by what has happened here," Nutter said. The mayor was flanked by officials from local law enforcement agencies, Amtrak, the National Transportation Safety Board, among other entities.
Investigators recovered the train's data recorder and said they expected it to yield crucial information, including how fast the train was going when it jumped the tracks in an old industrial neighborhood not far from the Delaware River.
The accident closed the nation's busiest rail corridor between New York and Washington — snarling the morning commute and forcing thousands of travelers to find other ways to reach their destinations.
Nutter said some people remained unaccounted for, though he cautioned that some passengers listed on Amtrak rolls might not have boarded the train, while others might not have checked in with authorities.
"We will not cease our efforts until we go through every vehicle," Nutter said. He said rescuers expanded the search area and used dogs to look for victims in case someone was thrown from the wreckage.
Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, the state's other representative in the chamber, also spoke briefly at the news conference.
"We're here to offer our condolences and our prayers to families of those who lost loved ones here, as well as to remember and to offer prayers and support to those who are still recovering, those who were injured," Casey said.
The senators also praised Nutter and other officials for their response efforts.
"Mayor Nutter deserves a great deal of credit," Toomey said. "He and his team have pulled together a very, very effective and well-coordinated effort that's included the federal as well as the city officials. We appreciate what they're doing."
Both legislators also pledged the federal government's full support with the investigation.
In a short interview with CNN after the news conference, Toomey said that he had toured the city with officials and described it as "a hard thing to look at because there were 240 or so people on that train.
"Frankly, it's amazing that many people were able to walk off that train, to leave that scene," he added. "The devastation and destruction is really horrific.
"So very, very difficult time for all of us — but of course for the victims and their families. It's just heartbreaking."
He estimated that the NTSB would probably not have its full investigation completed for another 12 months because of the extent of the crash.
Toomey, 53, who lives in Zionville, a village about an hour north of the accident scene, told CNN that "I've ridden on that train.
"It's a reminder of the fragility of life," he said of the wreck. "It's just a very, very sad reminder. … It's a very frightening scene."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.