Editor’s note, 9/29/16, 4 p.m.: this article has been updated with more recent information.
A New Jersey Transit train crashed into a platform during Thursday morning’s rush hour, killing one woman and injuring more than 100 108, some critically. Multiple news outlets including Reuters are reporting that between one and three people were killed. However, as of 11:33 a.m., a spokeswoman would not confirm any fatalities.
The woman was identified as a Hoboken resident in her early 30s, according to NBC News. The train engineer survived and is currently cooperating with authorities.
At around 8:45 a.m. a Pascack Valley train that left Spring Valley in Rockland County at 7:23 a.m., crashed into the platform at Track 5. Photos taken at the scene show heavy damage inside the Hoboken terminal, including a partial roof collapse and debris scattered near the crash.
South Orange resident Brian Farham was on a train that arrived several minutes after the crash. “It was so soon after that there was no instructions or warning that an accident had occurred — everyone disembarked as normal and starting heading toward the PATH (which was now blocked by the derailed train and collapsed roof),” Farham told Village Green.
There is no word yet on what caused the crash. Reuters quoted one passenger who was sitting in one of the rear cars when the train approached the station, who said she knew something was wrong just before the impact.
“I thought to myself, ‘Oh my god, he’s not slowing up, and this is where we’re usually stop,'” said Linda Albelli, 62, according to the Reuters report. “‘We’re going too fast,’ and with that there was this tremendous crash.”
Village Green will continue to follow and update this story throughout the day.
