Two people were killed and at least 30 others injured when the lead engine of a passenger train partially derailed near the US city of Philadelphia after striking a maintenance vehicle, dpa reported. The two people killed were employees of Amtrak, said a spokeswoman for the mayor of Chester, Pennsylvania, the town where the train detailed, according to local media. Amtrak, the company that operates the railway, did not confirm the deaths, but said the train struck a backhoe that was on the tracks. There were approximately 341 passengers and seven crew members on board, according to Amtrak. It said approximately 31 passengers were transported to area hospitals, none with life-threatening injuries. News reports said the number of people injured was 35. Amtrak said none of the people being treated in hospital suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The train was travelling from New York to Savannah, Georgia, when it struck the backhoe just before 8 am Sunday (1200 GMT). Amtrak said it was suspending its service between Wilmington and Philadelphia, and an investigation was under way.
