4 Amtrak Cars Derail in Washington; Minor Injuries

Four cars of an Amtrak passenger train derailed Sunday afternoon near the town of Steilacoom, in Washington state’s Pierce County, about 45 miles south of Seattle.

There appear to be only minor injuries, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office and Amtrak said on Twitter. Amtrak said that there were 267 passengers aboard the train, and that none of the train’s crew were among the injured.

Passengers are being safely evacuated from the scene, the West Pierce Fire Department said.

Photos posted on social media show several cars of the train tipped over on the tracks, near the waters of the bay.

There is no word on the cause of the derailment, which occurred near the Chambers Bay golf course.

The Gig Harbor Police Department says one of its patrol boats is helping environment officials put in pollution-control booms to block fuel from the derailment from leaking into a nearby body of water.