Thirty-two people were injured after a CTA Blue Line train crashed and at O’Hare International Airport around 2:55 a.m Monday.
The injuries do not appear to be life threatening. It’s not clear how fast the train was moving; but it jumped a bumper at the end of the line and moved up an escalator, according to Chicago Fire Department Spokesman Larry Langford.
Blue Line service has been temporarily suspended between O’Hare and the River road station in Rosemont; as a result, trains are operating only between Rosemont and Forest Park at this time.
Shuttle bus service is being provided between O’Hare and the Rosemont station.
Four hospitals are treating the injured.
At Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Dr. Douglas Propp told WGN, “As you might expect, someone who has been in a train accident is worried about the worst… you can imagine, people early in the morning, not expecting anything like this to happen, would be bothered by it. They came here; we reassured them; we evaluated them. Obviously, the clinical people put their minds at ease; and also, pastoral care is here to meet their needs.”
Cleanup of the crash site is expected to take up to 24 hours; at least one of the escalators at the O’Hare station will need extensive repairs.
This is a developing story – check back for details.
