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2 killed when train slams into dump truck
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(CNN) -- An Amtrak train hit a dump truck Tuesday in Raleigh, North Carolina, killing both of the truck's occupants and slightly injuring five people aboard the train, an Amtrak official said. The train engineer and four passengers were taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were minor and non-life-threatening, Amtrak said in a news release. The "Carolinian" was en route from Charlotte, North Carolina, to New York City with approximately 180 passengers when the wreck occurred at 12:35 p.m., Amtrak said. The engine, three passenger cars and a baggage car derailed in the impact. Assistant Fire Chief Bryant Woodall said it was not clear why the truck, which was carrying a load of gravel, was in the path of the train. "The gates are down on both sides of the track," he said. "You can just kinda take it from there." The wreck occurred in an area of rough terrain during an afternoon when temperatures were in the 90s, which complicated the evacuation process, particularly for a number of elderly passengers, Woodall said. He described the damage to the train cars as "very minor." Images from CNN affiliate WRAL showed the dump truck upended, its wheels lying beside its battered carriage. Unhurt passengers were taken by bus to Raleigh Convention Center and to the Raleigh Amtrak Station, where they were transferred to other buses to continue their trips northward. Woodall said the passengers "did very well" in getting off the train, despite the blistering North Carolina heat and the 30 to 45 minutes it took for firefighters and other emergency officials to reach some of them. It was not immediately clear when the wreckage site -- a mile north of the Raleigh station -- would be cleared, Amtrak said. Amtrak's New York-to-Miami trains are being detoured around Raleigh through Fayetteville, North Carolina. Relatives and friends of possible passengers can call Amtrak at 800-523-9101. 
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