NOTE: Those trying to contact passengers on the train should call the Amtrak Hotline at 1-800-523-9101. You should also go to Webster Elementary School on 3400 Frankford Avenue in Philadelphia.
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At least five people were killed and 50 people hurt after an Amtrak train, carrying 238 passengers and five crew members, derailed and rolled onto its side in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia Tuesday night, according to officials.
Eight to ten cars left the tracks near the 2000 block of Wheatsheaf Lane. The train, Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188, was heading to New York from Washington, DC.
"We were rolling along nice and smooth and then all of a sudden we were on our side," said Don Kelleher, one of the passengers.
"All of a sudden it felt like the brakes were hit hard and then our car," said Michael Black, another passenger. "We were third from the last, just slowly started going over to the side. I tried to just brace my arm against it and then just got off."
Mayor Michael Nutter confirmed at least five people were killed in the derailment during a news conference Tuesday night.
"This was an absolute disastrous mess," Nutter said. "I have never seen anything like it in my life. Many of these folks are not from Philadelphia. People looking for loved ones should go to Webster Elementary School."
Webster Elementary School is located on 3400 Frankford Avenue in Philadelphia.
Nutter, who said the incident was a "Level 3 mass casualty event," did not speak on a possible cause.
"We do not know what happened here," he said. "We're not going to try to speculate about that."
Officials have not yet revealed the identity of the deceased victims.
Some of the injured survivors walked away with scratches and bruises while others had to be loaded onto stretchers by firefighters and paramedics. At least six of the survivors are in critical condition while 43 were treated for less critical injuries, according to officials.
Officials also say they don't believe the incident was an act of terror.
In a video posted on Instagram from onboard the train moments after the crash, passengers could be heard crying and crawling through the sideways car.
Janelle Richards, a producer for NBC Nightly News, was another passenger on the train. According to Richards, the train was supposed to arrive in New York at 10:30 p.m. Around 9:20 p.m. Richards heard a loud crash and people flew up in the air.
Richards says there was a lot of "jerking back and forth" and "a lot of smoke." Richards also says she saw injured passengers who were bleeding.
Patrick Murphy, a former congressman from Pennsylvania's 8th District and Iraq War veteran was onboard as well. Murphy says he was in the cafe car when the train "crashed."
"It wobbled at first and then went off the tracks," Murphy said. "There were some pretty banged-up people. One guy next to me was passed out. We kicked out the window in the top of the train car and helped get everyone out."
Murphy says a few of the victims were injured to the point where they couldn't move and one person needed a stretcher. He also says paramedics arrived within eight to nine minutes.
U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) was also on the train though he disembarked at the Wilmington, Delaware station about 40 miles south from where the train derailed.
"I am grateful to be home safe and sound in Wilmington, and my heart goes out to all those on the train tonight," Carper said. "I hope all of those that are injured recover quickly, and I will keep them in my thoughts and prayers."
Frankford and Castor street is the location of the emergency response staging area.
The incident required a 4-alarm response, including 120 firefighters and 200 police officers.
Rescuers are at the scene going into train cars and conducting searches for more victims. Ambulance drivers are also alerting area hospitals of passengers with injuries that include lacerations and fractures to the lower and upper extremities.
Northeast Corridor service between New York and Philadelphia is suspended. SEPTA regional rail service is also suspended until further notice on the Chestnut Hill West and Trenton Regional Rail lines due to the accident.
Amtrak also set up a hotline for friends and family of passengers on the train. That number is 1-800-523-9101.
This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for updates.
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