Missouri: 7 People Injured After Passenger Train Derailed at Silver Dollar City Amusement Park
A famous steam-powered train in Missouri's Silver Dollar City amusement park derailed from its track, sending seven people to the hospital.
According to an Ozarks First photographer, the Stone County Sheriff's Office, Southern Stone County Fire Protection District, MSHP, and Mercy ambulances were all present at the scene at about 6:50 p.m. on Wednesday.
KRZK reported that Tom Martin, who runs the Office of Emergency Management for Stone County, confirmed the train accident to Ozarks First.
Martin said three to four people were taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance. However, the Silver Dollar City amusement park later announced that six guests and one employee were taken to the hospital, though Martin said none sustained life-threatening injuries.
Silver Dollar City Train Accident in Missouri
Tom Martin noted that the train was almost filled, and the state Fire Marshal had been contacted. Investigators were reportedly still trying to determine what led to the derailment.
A passenger told Ozarks First after the train tipped that her husband noticed that the wheels of the car they were in were silver instead of black, and they heard the train dragging.
The passenger and her husband were sitting in the second car from the back of the train. According to her, the car in front of them and the one they were in were completely on their sides, and occupants had to break the windows to climb out.
The passenger said a nearby individual had lower back problems, and he was brought to the hospital in an ambulance for safety. She also mentioned a woman who had been bleeding after having her glasses smashed on her face.
She also said a little boy had been so eager to ride the train but said he did not like trains anymore after the incident.
In a statement, the Silver Dollar City theme park confirmed that the Frisco Silver Dollar Line Steam Train derailed from its track, KY3 reported. The park said onsite paramedics provided emergency care until the responders arrived.
"At this time, we are wholeheartedly focused on providing support for guests and team members in partnership with Stone County first responders," the statement noted.
Silver Dollar City Train Accident in Missouri Was This Year's Second Incident at the Theme Park
In July, a Silver Dollar City employee died of head injuries while working at the theme park, according to federal officials.
Rhonda Burke, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Labor, said the worker was taken to the hospital with "head injuries allegedly sustained during maintenance and testing of a rollercoaster."
KOAM reported that the cause of death was found to be blunt force trauma. No one else was injured at the park at the time, but the employee's name was not released.
Meanwhile, the park ride reopened two weeks after the employee's death. A state fire marshal said in a report acquired by KY3 News that "no adverse conditions" were found on the ride. The fire marshall then approved it for operation.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: Passenger Train Derails at Silver Dollar City; Here's What a Witness Told Us - From KOLR10 & Ozarks Fox
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