Seven killed as New York train hits car

The train hit the stalled car on the tracks near suburban White Plains during the rush hour on Tuesday evening, sparking an explosion and a fire, officials said.

It’s actually amazing that not more people were hurt New York Governor Andrew Cuomo

Six people on the train died, as well as the driver of the Jeep Cherokee that got stuck on the tracks.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the crash was “a truly ugly and brutal sight” after visiting the scene.

“The third rail of the track came up from the explosion and went right through the (rail) car, it’s a devastatingly ugly situation,” he told reporters.

The third rail, which carries 750 volts of direct current, tore through the floor of the first car of the train, charring the carriage and sending billows of smoke into the air.

Damage to the other seven cars was minimal.

Driver ‘got back in’

“It’s actually amazing that not more people were hurt on that train,” Mr Cuomo added.

Media reports said the driver of the car got out briefly to try to push it off the tracks, then got back in before it was hit by the train.

Officials did not say why the car was stalled on the tracks.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino told reporters 12 people were injured, 10 of them seriously.

Hundreds of passengers from the eight-car train were taken to a rock-climbing gym for shelter, authorities said.

The average number of passengers on the train is 650 on a line that carries commuters through affluent New York City suburbs such as Westchester County, one of the richest in the United States.