D.C. train operator told to stay put in smoke-filled tunnel

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The operator of a Washington subway train that was forced to stop in a smoke-filled tunnel repeatedly asked for permission to return the train to the platform but was told to stay put as passengers coughed and choked, according to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) documents made public Tuesday, CBSDC reported.

Train operator James Curley told NTSB investigators that people on the train were “yelling, screaming, kicking and banging on the glass doors” as he was repeatedly told to wait in the tunnel, according to the report.

The first day of the NTSB hearing regarding the deadly smoke incident at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s L'Enfant Plaza station, which left one woman dead and dozens of others hurt when their stopped railcar filled with smoke last January, included several details about critical problems and the status of the rail system. The NTSB’s hearing continues on Wednesday. For the full story, click here.