Watching KTLA (in SD we're seeing it nonstop on that LA station) I saw them with mountains of the costco water bottles that come in the pallets of like 24...bunches of them stacked up (the pallets)...it's great that with the resources Costco has right there that they are able to get some things to help the injured and rescuers before some of the other agencies are even able to really respond (like Red Cross, etc.).
One thing that seems odd is they keep saying they have cleared all the cars, and then nearly everytime after they say that, then they follow that by hearing that they just found another person. Seems like you'd stop saying you found everyone till you were really sure.
Police Chief Baca just said (on KTLA) that a jeep cherokee was t-boned by a train (sounded like it was the freight train) and then it caused derailments that resulted in the two metrolinks also being involved.
When they say they have cleared the cars they mean they have reviewed and know whats needed and have a count/plan.
Confirmed by UPRR official on another site -- one train hit a vehicle at a grade crossing, derailed and careened into the others. Since all grade crossings are protected by lights, gates and signals, it's likely some idiot went around them and got caught on the tracks.
Different pieces of things they've stated in the last few minutes on KTLA:
Fire battlion chief was shown holding up plates from a vehicle as he was in the wreckage. Now being confirmed that the plates are registered to a red jeep cherokee (the same color noted by Baca).
Same chief now answering questions: They can't find entire parts of a car, but are finding some pieces of wreckage, so saying basically they are unsure if there really was a car involved, but some remnants seem to indicate so. In his hand were the plates and Cdl (camera tried to pan in and he quickly turned it so neither could be seen).
They were showing police leading away a train conductor about 15 minutes ago.
The Union Pacific statement issued contradicts with the info Baca had been understanding (although that was what he stated just as he was arriving on scene) and also with most of the rest of the reports. For whatever that is worth.
Obviously they don't really have a lot of answers at this point...just some of what has been reported.
Stall on the tracks or what?
The Pentagon City Costco did that on 9/11 for the Pentagon.