3rd LD: One dead in Virginia train collision, no serious injuries among lawmakers: White House

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The White House confirmed that one person was dead and no lawmakers were seriously injured in a collision involving a trash truck and a chartered train in U.S. state of Virginia on Wednesday.

"There is one confirmed fatality and one serious injury," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. "There are no serious injuries among members of Congress or their staff."

The victim's identity was not released.

Sanders said that President Donald Trump has been fully briefed on the situation and is receiving regular updates.

The remarks were made after an Amtrak-run chartered train carrying Republican lawmakers to a GOP retreat in state of West Virginia collided with a trash truck earlier in the day.

A statement from Amtrak said the crash occurred at 11:20 a.m. in Crozet, Virginia. The train departed Union Station in Washington, D.C. at about 8:30 a.m.

"Local law enforcement is investigating the incident and crews are inspecting equipment for damage," the statement added.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to the scene.

Senior Administration officials are in regular contact with Amtrak and state and local authorities, according to the White House. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected by this incident."

Several members of Congress on the train confirmed the collision in different tweets earlier and that they and their family were not injured.

"Security and doctors on board are helping secure the scene and treat injuries," Representative Bradley Byrne tweeted.

House Speaker Paul Ryan was on the train with his family, and all were unharmed.

The front half of the truck was crushed, while the train's front was also damaged, according to those lawmakers and their staff.

The Republicans lawmakers were scheduled to spend the next few days at the resort for their annual issues conference. Enditem