Passengers on smoke-filled DC subway train reportedly waited at least 35 minutes for rescue

Passengers on a stalled subway train that began filling with smoke at one of Washington D.C.'s busiest stations Monday afternoon were made to wait at least 35 minutes to be rescued.

The Washington Post, citing three District of Columbia officials with access to emergency dispatch records, reported that the delay was partially due to confusion about whether power to the track's electrified third rail had been cut. 

The smoke resulted in the death of 61-year-old Carol Glover, of Alexandria, Va., while 83 other passengers were hospitalized, two in critical condition. Glover and many of the injured were on board a Virginia-bound train that stalled shortly after leaving the L'Enfant Plaza station. It was the first fatality on a DC Metro train since 2009, when a crash killed eight passengers and a train operator. 

According to the Post, the first report of smoke near the station came at 3:18 p.m. Monday. Two calls in the next six minutes from Metro Transit reported smoke in the station, and also reported that passengers were having trouble breathing. 

Four minutes later, at 3:28 p.m., the District's fire department declared a "Metro tunnel box alarm," code for fire in a train tunnel. The Post reports that the first firefighters arrived at the station three minutes later, at 3:31 p.m. Two minutes later, operators received their first 911 call from inside the train, from a passenger who said it was filling with smoke. 

Despite the quick initial response, emergency responders were not able to access the tunnel until 3:44 p.m., when Metro confirmed that power to the third rail had been shut off and it was safe to enter. One official told the Post that the next report from inside the train came at 4 p.m., when a paramedic reported being with a patient, though a text message from a passenger in the first of the six cars that the firemen reached indicated that emergency personnel reached the train at 3:48 p.m. 

Edward C. Smith, president of the D.C. firefighters union, told the Post that he believed the timeline showed a fast response. Other fire union officials told the paper that some personnel reported issues with their radios in the tunnel, forcing them to retreat closer to the station platform. 

The exact cause of the smoke is still being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, though NTSB investigator Michael Flanigon told the Associated Press the smoke started when something came into contact with the high-voltage third rail and caused an electrical arc. It is also not clear why the train stalled and was unable to move in the tunnel.

The Metrorail system, which connects Washington with the Maryland and Virginia suburbs, carries an average of 721,000 passengers each weekday. Smoke and fire are not unusual on the subway system, which opened in 1976 and still uses some original rail cars. Metro's most recent safety reports showed 86 incidents of smoke or fire in 2013 and 85 through the first eight months of 2014.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/

NTSB investigating after smoke at Washington Metro station kills 1, injures 84

The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating what caused one of Washington's busiest subway stations to fill with smoke Monday afternoon, resulting in the death of 1 person and injuries to 84 others.

Officials said the woman who died and many of the injured were riders aboard a Virginia-bound Yellow Line train that had just departed the L'Enfant Plaza station shortly before 3:30 p.m. local time when it suddenly came to a halt 800 yards beyond the platform and began to fill with smoke.

The smoke did not appear to have been the result of a fire. Power to the third rail was shut down and riders were forced to self-evacuate. Passengers told the Washington Post that as much as an hour went by before firefighters were able to lead them out of the cars. Witnesses told the paper that some riders began to choke as the smoke filled the cars, while others lost consciousness. 

DC Interim Fire Chief Eugene Jones told the Post that firefighters did not immediately enter the tunnel to help the riders because they want to ensure that power to the third rail had been shut off. He also took issue with passengers' claims, saying that the delay was "nothing like" the length of time described. 

NTSB officials said the investigation would continue Tuesday morning. Rail service into the city was expected to be affected. 

At least two of those hospitalized were in critical condition Monday night. 

Jonathan Rogers told The Post that he was aboard a Yellow Line train as it headed to Pentagon Station, which is one station away from L'Enfant Plaza. He said smoke quickly came through the subway car's doors.

"It started to get scary pretty quick," he told the paper. The subway's driver tried moving the train backwards, but smoke continued to enter.

“People started praying,” he said. “Smoke was coming in pretty steadily. Some people were fine and some people were just hurting pretty quickly.”

Passenger Saleh Damiger was quoted by the newspaper as saying that people were choking and yelling aboard the train. "It was a lot of smoke," she said. "We couldn't see each other. ... We felt like we were almost going to die."

Fellow passenger Sirwan Kajjo told the paper that the train operator told them to get low to the ground to avoid being affected by the smoke. 

Eighteen people from the station were taken to Medstar Washington Hospital Center, most of them for smoke inhalation, spokeswoman So Young Pak told the Associated Press. She said 11 were treated and released. Of the seven still in the hospital Monday night, one was in critical condition and one was in serious condition, she said.

George Washington University Hospital spokesman Matt Brock said in an email that 34 patients suffering from smoke inhalation had been brought there. He said their conditions varied.The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating what caused one of Washington's busiest subway stations to fill with smoke Monday afternoon, resulting in the death of 1 person and injuries to 84 others.

Officials said the woman who died and many of the injured were riders aboard a Virginia-bound Yellow Line train that had just departed the L'Enfant Plaza station shortly before 3:30 p.m. local time when it suddenly came to a halt 800 yards beyond the platform and began to fill with smoke.

The smoke did not appear to have been the result of a fire. Power to the third rail was shut down and riders were forced to self-evacuate. Passengers told the Washington Post that as much as an hour went by before firefighters were able to lead them out of the cars. Witnesses told the paper that some riders began to choke as the smoke filled the cars, while others lost consciousness. 

DC Interim Fire Chief Eugene Jones told the Post that firefighters did not immediately enter the tunnel to help the riders because they want to ensure that power to the third rail had been shut off. He also took issue with passengers' claims, saying that the delay was "nothing like" the length of time described. 

NTSB officials said the investigation would continue Tuesday morning. Rail service into the city was expected to be affected. 

At least two of those hospitalized were in critical condition Monday night. 

Jonathan Rogers told The Post that he was aboard a Yellow Line train as it headed to Pentagon Station, which is one station away from L'Enfant Plaza. He said smoke quickly came through the subway car's doors.

"It started to get scary pretty quick," he told the paper. The subway's driver tried moving the train backwards, but smoke continued to enter.

“People started praying,” he said. “Smoke was coming in pretty steadily. Some people were fine and some people were just hurting pretty quickly.”

Passenger Saleh Damiger was quoted by the newspaper as saying that people were choking and yelling aboard the train. "It was a lot of smoke," she said. "We couldn't see each other. ... We felt like we were almost going to die."

Fellow passenger Sirwan Kajjo told the paper that the train operator told them to get low to the ground to avoid being affected by the smoke. 

Eighteen people from the station were taken to Medstar Washington Hospital Center, most of them for smoke inhalation, spokeswoman So Young Pak told the Associated Press. She said 11 were treated and released. Of the seven still in the hospital Monday night, one was in critical condition and one was in serious condition, she said.

George Washington University Hospital spokesman Matt Brock said in an email that 34 patients suffering from smoke inhalation had been brought there. He said their conditions varied.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/