n avenue and frankford, the amtrak train dee railing there as it approached a curve. according to some witness who's were there they were going into the curve, train started to shake and then it left the tracks. >> david, if you're still there can you tell us if you've seen people -- if it seems to still be a very active scene in terms of treatment, ambulance as you said going in and out the walking wounded, what are you seeing. we're seeing the ambulance come in light now. jake we want to move the camera over here. we're not sure exactly if they're going to be rushing people out but clearly these ambulance are coming in for the first time and it looks like they're going to be moving a fire truck to get folks in here. i asked one of the emergency workers how many ambulance are here at this exact point. they said there's no telling. they have all local hospitals

on stand by ready to take any amount of people in. chris, jessica. >> david thanks so much. we know 10 people have been taken to temple university hospital. we know others have been taken to aria torresdale and aria frankford. again 50 plus injuries is what we're being told right now as many as 10 cars going off. the extent of the injuries as david said unknown at this point but we know it's enough that some people had to be taken away on stretchers while others could walk away with scrapes and bruises. we're told about 240 people were on board that train when it was going from washington to new york. you're looking at chopper3. you see the first responders there. a large presence there tonight. we do know mayor michael nutter is on scene. he's expected to talk to us and briefer us very shortly and of course as soon as he begins to do that we will bring that to you. in the meantime, you can see people there on the ground. you can see how big of a scene

this is, just how large it is in terms of the sheer amount of space. all of the people there, of course going through this wreckage and you can see through chopper3 how mangled a lot of this wreckage s-how hard this impact was how strong this impact was. >> among those who were on board this train was a former pennsylvania congressman patrick murphy from the eighth district. he actually snapped these photographs. he is okay. he said that he was able to get off safely but he shared these photographs with the world. he also mentioned that delaware senator tom carper was on board that train and senator carper has confirmed he was on amtrak 188 he had traveled on trip from washington to wilmington but got off the train at wilmington. he's released a statement saying he's grateful to be safe and that his heart goes out to all those who are on board this train. so delaware senator tom carper is safe.

form fer congressman patrick murphy is safe. as jessica mentioned another leader we expect to hear from very soon is philadelphia mayor michael nutter. he is on the scene of the story in port richmond and he should be ready to brief us any moment. we'll be standing by for that and you'll see it live here on cbs3. >> we've got more photos to show you. a lot of people reporting smoke in those train cars. david spunt telling us he smelled the smoke when he got to the scene which has now been active for over an hour. let's take a look now from the ground. you can see some of the first responders there. this is a live picture of what's happening on the ground there in port richmond. as david is telling us they have set up a very large scene where they are tending to people who need treatment and

varying degrees of severity. some people had to go to the hospital by ambulance, others were able to walk get on septa buses and be taken to the hospital. matt rivers has been talking to some of those people and hearing their harrowing stories. he's told us people from the neighborhood are bringing water and that sort of thing and so you can see the sense of community on what is an incredibly tragic night in port richmond. this was a train that was supposed to go into new york's penn station rues what is typically a very easy ride. it was in the darkness that the jarring impact happened and that must have been a of course very scary very sudden for so many people. david was saying, too that a lot of these people that were getting off the train did seem to be a bit panicked. once they saw those first responder there is that helped them to calm down just a little bit and of course they are trained in doing that. we know there were 240 people on board this train bound for new york. we know that 50 plus have been

injured. that number could grow as the night goes on. all of these being taken to area hospitals where they'll receive treatment and we know that this is train 188 that was headed to new york tonight. so about 10 cars we think have gone off the rails here and again once the light comes out tomorrow, right now the darkness of course hamper erring them. when the light comes can up tomorrow this is going to be a massive scene of mangled metal that we can see in pieces from chopper3. >> matt rivers reporting multiple spinal boards have been laid out behind an ambulance near the crash site in case additional victims need to be brought out. we have seen buses that were provided by septa tonight leaving the scene some with as many as 20 passengers on board taken to local hospitals. we know they have been transported to aria frankford

aria torresdale, temple university and hahnemann. a third passenger has arrived at aria frankford. he says the staff there is still waiting for more. again, we know 240 were on board that train. there may have been many who were on cars that did not derail and were able to leave the scene safely o and their own who won't be going to the hospital to be checked out. but we do worry and have concern for those who are injured tonight and do need medical assistance. aria health now reporting a total of 15 passengers being treated for injuries in their hospitals with more on the way. >> matt rivers now reporting that officers on the scene there on the ground, so you see that ground shot there on the left, they're on the ground going from person-to-person to ask if they need to go to hospitals. they're specifically asking about head injuries so that is something they're clearly concerned about. we want to go to david spunt who is live on the scene and has an update for us. david. >> reporter: jessica, one

thing i want to mention is we saw all different ages that were on this train. we saw some elderly, we also saw some kids that looked to be probably 12, 13, 14 yea again, they were getting on ambulance but something else that we first noticed when we got out here and we are about probably about a block block and a half away. we're at the corner of frankford and sedgley. take a look at this video that we shot when we arrived on scene. this is video of some of those passengers actually being treated. they were walking over from the train. it's the first time that they actually had a chance to see this public that was watching them making sure they were okay. we noticed the smell of soot, the smell of smoke. it's very heavy especially because the wind right now seems to intensify that. something else that we noticed when we pulled up is that a lot of these people are being pushed back by police. police are doing a great job of making sure that there's a large perimeter because they keep saying the priority is getting these people to the hospital as soon as possible. that's the priority, not people that are standing

watching trying to talk. the priority is getting them to the hospital and right now we're just at one scene. there are several scenes i should mention. we saw maybe 10 or 15 people that were being treated. we're hearing over 50 people so you could imagine how many different scenes there are near where i'm standing right now. jessica and chris. >> david is there any indication that they are searching for any people who may be trapped inside or that they -- that are unaccounted for at this point or is there any way to know right now? >> reporter: i'll tell you this. one of the police officers out here did tell me that they did use the word entrapment as we heard tonight. they're using that just to make sure -- rather because they're hearing somebody on that train. we have in the distance it's very tough to see but we have seen some light. we may be able to see it from chopper3 but some lights that people are shining on the train to try to find some of those people. we're not sure if they're all out. we're not sure how many people were in there but for the most part police said they are

treating it as if there are people on the train. we're waiting to get that official word whether it be from amtrak, whether it be from mayor michael nutter and we did see him on scene getting a briefing probably or 30 minutes ago. >> that's right. we're expecting to hear from him any moment now and of course we'll bring that to you. david, you mentioned the smell of soot, the smell of smoke out there. does that seem to be affecting any of the people who are trying to work out there at all. >> reporter: people are mentioning it. i don't know if it's affecting them if doing their job. the wind seems to be whipping it around and intensifying it. we're not exactly sure what it is but i can tell that you some of these victims, some of the injured getting off the train, you could see that they have that look of soot on them. one person even looked like they were almost in a chimney. they just had that black soot on them. so we don't exactly know what it is, obviously some chemical agent from the derailment but at this point we just don't know what it is but there

certainly is a smell of smoke and a smell of soot in the area. >> again as many as eight to 10 cars believed to have left the train tracks there in port richmond tonight david who all are you seeing there? obviously philadelphia fire and police responding to the scene. describe kind of the size of this effort right now. >> reporter:. >> we're seeing a lot of ambulance and i don't know if my microphone is picking it up. i'm couldn't stanleyly hearing ambulances, whether they're coming or leaving. there are probably three or four times the amount of police cars. a lot of that reason is just the crowd control getting people back, keeping them back. i've looked right now just on the other side of the camera and i can see in the distance that keep moving that barrier back keep moving that crime tape back to get people out of here so they can get the injured people out of here 'cause that's the priority. >> okay david spunt for us at the crash scene. david we know you're standing by for mayor michael nutter. right now we want to can check

in with our todd quinones. he's at aria frankford hospital and todd i understand they have been bringing some of the injured passengers to where you are. >> reporter: yeah, chris we've been here just about 10 minutes and already we've seen three passengers brought in here. take a look over my shoulder right now. you can see hospital staff. they here outside the emergency room. they appear to be waiting for more possible patients but again, we've been here for about 10 minutes. we've seen three passengers brought in here one woman walked in on her own, one man was wheeled in on a wheelchair an third woman was brought in on a stretcher. right now the extent of their injuries aren't clear. again hospital staff appear poised waiting for more patients to arrive here at aria frankford hospital. we got here about 10 minutes ago and we understand that patients have been brought into as many hospitals in the area as possible. some of them include obviously frankford aria where we are right now. again three passengers brought here in the past 10 minutes.

the extender of their injuries unknown but again hospital staff here appear poised and ready to treat more patients if need be. that's the story reporting live tonight in frankford. todd quinones for cbs3 "eyewitness news". >> from the time extraordinary picture behind you. they're literally standing there at the front door waiting for any potential new patients to come their way. >> again to recap we're following the train derailment of train 188 an amtrak train traveling from washington d.c. to new york. we know as many as 10 cars derailed at some point in port richmond. we don't know why. we know that something toward the front of that train went wrong and that's when they left the tracks and as we've seen all night through these video images that it's just a powerful impact. a lot of mangled metal there at the scene a lot of first responders out with flashlights. we're going to go to the chop are right now. you can see some of this for yourself. you see the lights.

this was earlier tonight. you can see one of the train cars is on its side. we got photos from inside some of those cars, people tweeting it out. you could see the smoke that was inside the cars. you could see people clearly bleeding from injuries. we know 50 plus people injured on the train that was carrying some 240 people from washington on the way to new york penn station. >> these tracks run parallel to kensington avenue and frankford avenue in section of port richmond. they're a good distance away from both of those major thorough fares and david spunt has described this as a very industrial area no, homes appear to be near those tracks. if you look at the map this certain section of track as it travels northbound it curves and turns to the right and according to witnesses that's exactly when this derailment happened tonight as that train began to move into the into this curve and turn to the right on its way to new york city that's when the train began to shake and then

several cars, perhaps eight perhaps nine, perhaps 10 wound up leaving the tracks. several of them that we have been able to see, including that one right there on their side. others remained upright. others did not leave the tracks at all. we don't know exactly how many cars were on this train but we do believe there were some that remain on the tracks tonight. again a wide shot now of the scene. you can see it extends several blocks into the port richmond neighborhood as firefighters police and first responders try to get to those who have been injured. the can concern again at this hour is anyone still trapped in that train. >> right. >> are there cars that first responders have been unable to access? might there be people there who are badly injured. we do know as we soft saw from todd todd quinones every hospital is on alert ready to take in any of the injured. again 240 people we believe on board this train. the exact number of injuries is not known.

appears to be a minimum of 50 right now as we look from the ground at the scene once again some of the injured on stretchers being taken away, others have been placed on board septa buses. there's mayor michael nutter who we saw earlier. we expect him and emergency personnel to give us an update just as soon as they're able to do that. we'll be standing by and you'll see that here on cbs3. >> we know that 10 people have been taken to temple university hospital. we know that others have been taken to aria torresdale, aria frankford where todd quinones was and as you mentioned people there, the first responders at the hospitals, the doctors and nurses they are ready to take in anybody who is injured. we don't know the severity of the injuries here. we do know that some people were able to walk off those trains, that they were able to board septa buses and just be taken in for an evaluation to make sure nothing was wrong. we know others were taken out on hospitals -- taken out on ambulance to hospitals with much more severe injuries that caused them to be taken in that way so it's a wide

ranging in terms of the severity of these injuries tonight. we do know that 50 plus people have been injured. we know that firefighters are there, that police are there first responders, that it is quite an effort there to make sure people can get the treatment that they need, that everyone is going to be all right that has had these injuries. >> okay. let's check in now -- let's hear some eyewitness accounts from passengers who were on board this train that derailed tonight. let's listen. >> we were just on the train and all of a sudden it started to shake and we were in the front seat and this huge red suitcase just came flying at me. our train was actually on its side so it pushed me onto the side of the train. it hit my chest. i think i have a few fractured ribs. i'm a nurse.

but but i tried to help -- there's many injured people on the train and they're very, very upset. my son went back and got everybody off our one car. he helped them out. there was a very small opening in the door and we were able to get out. >> reporter: and so your car actually toppled over. >> yes. we were in the last car and it was on the side, yes. >> >> reporter: what was going through your mind as it was happening. >> it's a nightmare. we were in washington d.c. for the american heart association lobbying day and we spent all day visiting our senators and can congressman and the last thing i would think is something would happen on the way home. >> reporter: where are you from. >> i'm from watchung. >> reporter: you're a nurse a medical professional explain what you saw from a medical standpoint terms of injuries. >> i saw so many head injuries and bloody faces and, you know people were really

injured. they were thrown out of their seats. one girl slammed into one of the seats there are a lot of fractures, arm shoulders all kinds of fractures. there was nothing i could do to help. i had nothing just to talk to the people and try to help them calm down. >> reporter:what were the people saying. >> some couldn't open their eyes. they had a lot of pressure in their heads so you knew it was so. >> reporter: when you got out of the train and people were coming toward this way were people just kind of in a state of shock? >> yes. we didn't know what to do at first. then we tried to get away from the train because it filled with smoke and then it fell over further. i mean, i was afraid that trying to get out it would all go over and i wouldn't be able to get out so we just tried to keep moving and get away from the train but there were live wires down and it was -- and

then police then started coming and helping us and advising us where to go. >> what would you say i mean just emotionally here if you could even process what happened so far? what was -- >> well, i just thank god that i'm here and my son is safe and, you know, that so many people are just mildly injured and, you know, i pray for everybody who is seriously hurt and i hope everyone is okay. >> reporter: and if we could just -- you actually went back to try to help some people get out of the train. >> yeah. i helped my mom get off. that was my first priority. luckily i'm still here i'm still walking. i got really lucky so i figured i would do my best to help 'cause i saw -- i could see mood on people's faces. their knees were out. so, i just tried to do my best to help people get out of that car 'cause it was smoking. >> reporter: and as you

helped people, what were people saying to you? >> a lot of people were just in shock. they couldn't believe what was happening. they were just trying and didn't like know what to say. >> reporter: how do you feel right now. >> i'm still like -- kind of still feels like a tree. like how could this happen? you always read about things or see this on the news like oh a plane trashes a-train derails. you never think it's going to happen to you. >> reporter: just. >> just a riveting eyewitness account from a mother and son who were traveling from washington, d.c. back to their home in new jersey. she described it as a nightmare. she thought this can't be happening. those were the thoughts that ran through her mind as their train derailed in port richmond tonight. she said that she and her son were on the last car. so, that tells you that the last car that was a part of this train did leave the tracks. we don't know how many others did but it's believed to be

between eight and 10 at this point with significant injuries that followed. >> we want to go back out to david spunt who is there on the scene with an update now. david. >> jessica, we have just seen probably maybe three or four more ambulance come in the last five minutes. two of them did not have their sirens on so we're not exactly sure if they're rushing people out of here or if they're just here to help. there's also a bigger police presence. that seems to grow about every five minutes or so but something as we're talking about the victims and you can see this video that we sent back from the ground, we notice that soot, some of that soot that smoke that hit those people you could see some of those people just get off with that black soot. they were confused, they were disoriented, didn't really know what was going on. there was a lot of panic at first but i have to tell you the triage, the emergency workers, police fire, they were very organized in getting those people into ambulance and getting them out of here when needed. that is the biggest thing that

we're seeing but we continue to see police push back that barrier. that video that you're looking at is of those folks that were walking off the train. they walked maybe a couple of hundred yards off the train.rom emergency workers onto stretchers. some of them were lying flat on the ground being checked out just to make sure they were okay. others were rushed to the hospital and as i said before, this is just one specific area where that people were being treated. so that gives you an idea how big of an area we're looking at. >> david as you stand by there i know waiting for mayor michael nutter to speak we've got new information from amtrak tonight. they do confirm that train 188 on its way from that washington to new york had 238 people on board and five crew members as well. they say that several passengers have been injured. they don't have a specific number. they say that several passengers have been injured and taken to local medical

facilities for treatment. all northeast corridor service between new york and philadelphia has been suspended, which of course is no surprise. they're offering a phone number for anyone who may have questions about family or board this train. this is only for family or friends of those who may have been on board that train. that number to call is one-800-523-9101. again, that is a special amtrak hotline that has been set up for family and friends of people who may have been on board this train. the number one against one-800-523-9101 and we'll have that number flashing on our screen for you. >> you're look at a live picture. septa has gotten buses there for anyone that can walk that is okay enough to load that bus. they're being taken to local hospitals for evaluations because, again, as you heard that woman and her son say there are various types of injuries.

some people are able to walk onto that bus,? you have the some scrapes and bruises. other people she said had head injuries and we had heard from matt rivers earlier that that's what first responders were asking people about the most they're very concerned about that. these trains that travel up and down the northeast corridor don't have seat belts and when you fly off of the rails like that, you can imagine the impact with which you can hit the side of the train, the luggage can can fall onto you and you can have some serious serious injuries. we know 50 plus people have been injured. you see there first responders treating some of the injured right now. david spunt has reported seeing ambulance in and out. our todd quinones was at aria frankford where three people had already been taken and we also know that at the hospital throughout thehat doctors and nurses and other first responders are at the wait. they are ready for any of these victims that are being brought in right now. first responders definitely a team effort tonight. you're seeing police working side by side with

firefighters. we also know that mayor michael nutter is on scene there. we're hoping to get an update from him very soon. again, this was an amtrak train going from washington to new york. that route usually picks up passengers in philadelphia at 30th street station. it would have been continued north -- it would have then continued north to new york's penn station and it derailed at port richmond. what we don't know right now is why this train derailed. as many as 10 cars went off the tracks and as you can see in the video we've been showing you all night, it was a very violent crash. you can see some of the people here getting water getting treatment and again some needing to go on stretchers, others able to walk. there's mayor michael nutter there from earlier. again we're waiting to hear from him. >> the question that you bring up too jessica about why this happened or how this happened is something that we're probably going to not know for some time. we can tell that you some of the earliest reports that came out tonight before we were even able to get on the air is

that there may have been some kind of collision between this train and a freight train. but csx is now saying that they have no indication that any freight train was in that area or at all involved in this derailment. so, that is the word from csx they are saying that there is no indication that a freight train was involved in this crash tonight. so perhaps that is something that we can wipe out as a possibility. what we know investigators will be looking at very closely is the speed of this train. the tracks themselves, what kind of condition they were in. the train itself, what kind of condition it may have been in. but those are questions again that are going to be left for another day. the pressing issue right now is the status of those who may still be on board that train. we do know that several many, dozens have gotten off. many have been transported to hospitals. many have been able to walk away without serious injuries including the two that we spoke with just a moment ago. but the question is are there still people left on board

train cars that are crumpled right now off the tracks and on the ground there in port richmond. again, amtrak confirming 238 passengers, five crew members were on board this train that derailed just about 9:30 tonight, about two hours ago in port richmond just short of the frankford creek. we are standing by hoping to michael nutter to see exactly how the city is handling this crisis, another crisis in his administration, one of many that have piled up over the years. but certainly a real tragedy tonight for people who were on board this train and who live in this neighborhood. >> no doubt about it. we know that a lot of these people have family and loved ones very anxiously waiting to hear from them. i want to give you the phone number to call, it is one-800-5323-9101. this is for friends and family who might have had someone on this train. again it was the handle track

train 188 on its way to new york penn station tonight from washington, d.c. about 248 people -- 238 people plus five crew members on this train tonight so a large group of people on this train. it would have been a quiet train obviously very dark outside because it's night and that is complicating issues in terms of making sure they're getting everybody out of these trains. there is the phone number again, if you need to get information tonight that's the number you need to call. we do know that some people are boarding septa buses being taken to hospitals. we know some people have been taken on stretchers and ambulance to hospitals. so, there are passengers all over the city of philadelphia tonight, so if you need to get information, there is the number you can call right now. >> cherri gregg from kyw news radio a member of the cbsphilly family is attempt hospital right now. she reports police are blocking the roads around the hospital and that a dozen people -- a dozen passengers

from the crash scene have been taken to temple hospital in police vans. we know that there were -- there were and are a lot of ambulance on the scene but some of the injured were actually taken to hospitals tonight in police vans. other passengers who were not as badly injured taken away from the scene in septa buses tonight. but cherri gregg reporting that a dozen people have been brought to temple hospital. we know that the aria system has brought in at least 15 and it is believed that as many as 50 may be injured if not more than that. >> and again, as you look from this both at the ground you also look at it from the sky you know just how vast of a scene this is, how many first responders are there. on the right of your screen right now, this is lie chopper. you can see a group of what appears to be first responders there next to a train car that is on its side. earlier we had heard the word entrapment being used. david spunt said some first

responders had said that to him. at this point of course they want to make sure everybody is out of those train cars that might have been trapped inside them. we heard from that woman and her son earlier and they were on the back car as you said and that one came off the tracks as well but she really described it as very sudden, very impactful very powerful to the point where suitcases were flying onto her. she thought she probably had a couple fractured ribs but she said some people had head injuries. some people had other broken bones. a lot of people in shock here tonight. you can imagine just how shocking this can be and then you've got to get out of this car that's on its side. a lot of people poking out those windows. we saw photos earlier people climbing out to what would be the side of the train but because it was on its side, it was then the top of the train. >> live chopper once again as first responders stand by waiting for their next move, but going back to how that witness, jessica described this incident, it was everything in her description

that you would imagine it to be. >> right. >> it happened suddenly, there was no warning before you knew what was going on, suitcases were flying everywhere and you could just imagine what it would be like to feel completely out of control as one of these massive train cars rolls over on its side like the one that we are looking at right now. again, the reports from the scene are that between eight and 10 cars left the tracks today. we don't know -- or tonight rather and we don't know exactly how many cars may have been a part of this train but between eight and 10 said to have left the tracks tonight. each one you could imagine could seat as many as 50 people. >> yeah, probably dozens of people on that train and as you know, anyone that's been on those trains generally know it's two on two, two on one side by a window, two on other side by the window and the exits are often through those windows and the door has to open with a motor.

when it turns on its side getting out of that train car can be quite a trick especially if you sustained injuries. thus all the first responders. we saw from chopper3 throughout the night when you would be over the scene you would see the flashlights. looks like they have a little more light out there on that scene whereas earlier they were really having to rely on what appeared to be hand held flash lights but definitely trying to check that out and make sure that everybody is out of that train car that needs to be. >> i'm sure it's only a matter of time before they bring out the big light kits to aid them in their rescue efforts. in the meantime no doubt they are trying to talk with anyone who may still be inside one of these cars, if there is, in fact anyone still inside these cars. we certainly hope that's not the case, that everyone has made it out with the injuries that they've suffered or not suffered as the case may be. we do know that local hospitals are filling up with those who were injured here tonight in port richmond when

this train left the tracks around 9:30, amtrak train 188 traveling from washington d.c. to new york city and of course amtrak, with the sterling reputation, the number of trains that move back and forth every day a very safe mode and transportation for millions of americans, especially in the eastern part of the united states, the northeast corridor in particular, boston, new york city, washington, it is a life blood for the work that people do each and every day. there are people who are on those trains every single night and they never have a thing go wrong and then something like this happens it is certainly tragic. >> we want to let people know that service along that northeast corridor which runs from washington, d.c. all the way up to boston has been suspended for the time being so keep that in mind if you have plans for tomorrow, if you're supposed to pick somebody up,. >> if you have a loved one who might be at 30th street right now waiting for a late train you might want to pick them

up. all service has been suspended between the two cities until further notice there darkness playing a big role in these rescue efforts. they're trying to work with what they've got in terms of light out there. it has been progressively better. as you mentioned probably bringing in the big light kits. surge a large response from first responders tonight. so many of them out there and they are working to make sure that everybody gets the finest care. we're going to get to the bottom of it of course of what happened. that will take some time. ntsb already working on that as we go, but we're still -- we're still waiting to get more information as the night goes on. we want to let you know we're staying on right now. we will show you david letterman in its entirety once we wrap up our coverage. association hang tight for david letterman. we want to continue to follow this. we're of course waiting to hear from mayor michael nutter who we're hoping will have some more facts for us by the time he speaks to us this evening. >> if you are just tuning in, looking to see david letterman we encourage you to stand by. we'll have that for you later in the night as dave wraps up

his run down to his last seven shows. this is "eyewitness news" continuing coverage avenue train derailment in the port richmond section of philadelphia. it happened around 9:30 tonight. an amtrak train with 238 people on board and five crew members as well. let's go to our diana rocco. she has an update on the situation now. diana, where are you? >> reporter: chris, we are outside the emergency room at temple university hospital where it will be a a very busy evening here. they are clearly in emergency management mode. we have seen several police vans pull in bringing what appears to be passengers from that amtrak train and you can see the dozens of nurses and doctors outside the emergency room that are waiting on stand by right now. we do have another ambulance going by. now, this street is only opened to emergency management vehicles and since i've been