Amtrak derailment investigation underway after 3 killed

MENDON, Mo. (NewsNation) — An investigation was underway Tuesday into the Amtrak passenger train that derailed in rural Missouri, killing at least three people and injuring dozens of others.

The train was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago Monday afternoon when it struck a dump truck in middle Missouri, causing at least seven rail cars to tumble off the tracks and land on their sides.

Amtrak’s Southwest Chief was carrying about 207 passengers and crew members when the collision happened near Mendon at a rural intersection on a gravel road with no lights or electronic controls, according to the highway patrol. The Southwest Chief takes about two days to travel from Los Angeles to Chicago, picking up passengers at stops in between. Mendon, with a population of about 160, is about 84 miles northeast of Kansas City.