"Multiple" people were killed early yesterday when an Amtrak passenger train derailed in Washington state near the city of Tacoma, sending cars flying off a bridge and onto a busy interstate, AFP reports quoting officials. Pictures from the scene showed one train car overturned and crushed on the interstate highway and another dangling down from the overpass above.The train, which was carrying 78 passengers and five crew, was part of a newly expanded faster rail service along the route linking Seattle and Portland, Oregon -- featuring new locomotives. It derailed during the morning rush hour at about 7:40 am (1540 GMT), about halfway between Tacoma and Olympia, the capital of Washington state.

"There's multiple fatalities," said Ed Troyer, spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. "It's pretty horrific," he said. Troyer put no number on the fatalities, but local media said at least three people were killed. None of the people in vehicles travelling on the highway below the train were killed, according to Troyer. Local news outlets reported that dozens of people were taken to area hospitals for treatment. "When we got to the scene, it was obvious there were fatalities and injuries, and some people were able to get off the train," Troyer said.