MetroLink Vs. Freight Train Chatsworth area of Los Angeles

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Now 3 and a half hours into incident, LAFD/LACoFD USAR Teams still working on passenger car. Reports of now possibly 20 people DOA, over 100 injured. Departments involved as of right now are as follows: LAFD, LACoFD, Ventura County FD, LAPD, LA County Sheriff, Multiple Privte Ambulance Agencies. Patients being flown to trauma centers in the central LA area so not to overtax the system in the northern San Fernando Valley by LAFD, LACoFD and LA Sheriff helos.

More information still pouring in, press conference soon. Update as soon as more concrete information is known.

Duane

West Coast Correspondent-EMT Bravo Networks

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***UPDATE***

Rescue Ops now starting a recovery operation, LA County Coroner's Units now onscene. Cadaver dogs being flown in from counties outside LA to assist.

Per press conference, 10 confirmed DOS over 100 injured with no confirmed count. Extrication still in progress on Metrolink car. This crash was headon, a Union Pacific Freight train into the MetroLink, with the locomotive tearing apart a passenger car. There was a fire at the time of the crash, which was extingushed by first arriving units.

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KTLA now reporting 15 DOS, including 1 LAPD officer. Unknown if they were onduty or offduty. Also reporting persons still trapped under the passenger car.

Another press conference soon. More to follow.

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LAFD now extricating the body of the LAPD officer. Rank and File forming up for honors....

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Dozers from either LAFD or LA County Fire having to carve out a road for equipment to be brought into the crash site. Comments have been made that rescue/recovery may take through tomorrow (Saturday) and possibly into Sunday.

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Last update for the night...

Still stating 15 fatalities and 135 injured. Some passengers still in passenger car hit by the freight train engine. Per LAFD Chief Berry, the locomotive is embedded into the passenger car.

LAPD Officer is a 7 year veteran of the department. She was off duty and riding the train. Sorry, I did not catch her name. Will post a LODD when I have it.

Also injured and in critical condition is a LA County Sheriff's Deputy, who was on the train as part of their security. Clavicle fracture, multiple rib fractures, a punctured lung and punctured leg. Deputy John Ebert assisted with rescues out of the passenger car until he collapsed. He is in the ICU in a Ventura County Hospital.

May God watch over the rescuers as they attempt to free those still in the car.

Duane

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Update per LAFD:

25 fatalities, 135 injured. MetroLink states their Engineer is at fault, but the NTSB states their report is not final.

** Correction on a previous post. The injured LA County Sheriff's Deputy was offduty, not part of the MetroLink security team.

Duane

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FIRE

21631 W. Heather Lee Ln.

Chatsworth

Friday, September 12, 2008

TIME: 4:23 PM

INCIDENT #: 0834

On Friday, September 12, 2008 at 4:23 PM, 38 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 28 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Heavy Rescue, 1 Urban Search and Rescue Unit, 2 Rehab Units, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 4 Helicopters, 7 EMS Battalion Captains, 8 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, Foam Tenders 100 & 60, Emergency Air 1, the Heavy Equipment Company, Emergency Lighting 72, 83 and 112, responded to reports of a train derailment at 21631 W. Heather Lee Ln. in the Chatsworth area.

Agencies representing Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Beverly Hills and Ventura County Fire Departments, the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriffs, CHP, Metrolink and Union Pacific Railroad, working under a Unified Command, responded to reports of a train derailment in Chatsworth.

Link: LAFD Blog Site