1 Dead, Dozens Taken To Hospitals After Smoke Empties DC Metro Station
WASHINGTON (WJZ) -- Terror on Washington DC Metro trains. One person is dead and dozens more injured after smoke filled part of the underground system. Overnight NTSB officials say an arching event on the third rail may have caused the smoke incident that happened just after 3 p.m. Monday near the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station.
Meghan McCorkell has first hand accounts from passengers.
One woman is dead and more than 80 people have been taken to the hospital after smoke filled a Metro tunnel.
Youtube video shows the thick heavy smoke filling trains on the Washington DC Metro system as passengers struggle to breathe.
"Then everybody starts coughing and then there's black stuff everywhere," said one witness.
Metro officials say some kind of issue inside the tunnel caused the smoke.
"The cause of the smoke---heavy smoke condition---is under investigation. I do not know at this point---we do not know at this point---the cause of that smoke," said Metro general manager Richard Sarles.
Hundreds of passengers were trapped, some say for more than an hour.
"People were just getting out of hand. They were panicking. You couldn't see from one side to the other on the train," said one witness.
One woman who was reported to be in distress on the train died of her injuries. Three others are in critical condition. More than 80 people were hospitalized with breathing problems. The incident happened near the L'Enfant Plaza Station, one of the busiest in the system. Train conductors tried to keep people calm.
"People are freaking out, going everywhere. The Metro, the conductor of the Metro, was just telling everyone to be calm every five minutes," said passenger Alec Dubois.
The L'Enfant Plaza Station was shut down for hours. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board were on the scene to try and figure out what caused the deadly incident.
DC police will also be involved in the investigation. Metro officials say repairs are needed inside the tunnel. They say service on the yellow and green lines may not be restored for Tuesday morning's rush hour.
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