LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured Friday when a Metrolink train packed with hundreds of rush-hour commuters collided with a freight train in suburban Los Angeles, officials said.
The apparent head-on collision between Metrolink train 111 and the Union Pacific train occurred about 4:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. ET) in Chatsworth, a northwestern suburb of Los Angeles. It sparked a fire that was brought under control.
Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said 10 people had died, as rescuers continued to search the wreckage. The media relations department of the Los Angeles police department said one officer was among those killed, but did not release additional details.
"That number will likely grow because, as you know, we are in a rescue phase," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
About 220 people were on the commuter train, which was heading north, according to Los Angeles authorities. Passengers were still being evacuated, said Metrolink spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell. Three passenger cars and one locomotive were involved in the crash.
Video from the scene showed a number of injured people lying on blankets. Passersby had attempted to free some passengers from the train cars before fire and rescue crews arrived. A helicopter was on scene ferrying people to hospitals. At least one car from the commuter train had derailed and was lying on its side.
Five victims -- three males and two females, all in critical condition -- had been received Friday evening at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, said spokeswoman Natasha Shows. More were expected, she said, as ambulances from the hospital remained at the scene.
Injuries from the crash ranged from minor to critical, Villaraigosa said.
"The number of injured is hard to estimate at this point," he said. "We know that at least dozens have been injured ... maybe hundreds."
The cause of the collision was unknown.
Tyrrell said the train left Union Station in downtown and was headed northwest to Moorpark in Ventura County, according to AP.
The AP said the crash happened in an area where the tracks form a "U" shape, about 2,500 feet wide. At the top of the bend is a 500-foot-long tunnel that runs beneath Stoney Point Park, popular with climbers for its large boulders, the AP reported.
The apparent head-on collision between Metrolink train 111 and the Union Pacific train occurred about 4:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. ET) in Chatsworth, a northwestern suburb of Los Angeles. It sparked a fire that was brought under control.
Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said 10 people had died, as rescuers continued to search the wreckage. The media relations department of the Los Angeles police department said one officer was among those killed, but did not release additional details.
"That number will likely grow because, as you know, we are in a rescue phase," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
About 220 people were on the commuter train, which was heading north, according to Los Angeles authorities. Passengers were still being evacuated, said Metrolink spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell. Three passenger cars and one locomotive were involved in the crash.
Video from the scene showed a number of injured people lying on blankets. Passersby had attempted to free some passengers from the train cars before fire and rescue crews arrived. A helicopter was on scene ferrying people to hospitals. At least one car from the commuter train had derailed and was lying on its side.
Five victims -- three males and two females, all in critical condition -- had been received Friday evening at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, said spokeswoman Natasha Shows. More were expected, she said, as ambulances from the hospital remained at the scene.
Injuries from the crash ranged from minor to critical, Villaraigosa said.
"The number of injured is hard to estimate at this point," he said. "We know that at least dozens have been injured ... maybe hundreds."
The cause of the collision was unknown.
Tyrrell said the train left Union Station in downtown and was headed northwest to Moorpark in Ventura County, according to AP.
The AP said the crash happened in an area where the tracks form a "U" shape, about 2,500 feet wide. At the top of the bend is a 500-foot-long tunnel that runs beneath Stoney Point Park, popular with climbers for its large boulders, the AP reported.
