Smoke filled a Washington, DC, subway station Monday afternoon, killing one woman and critically injuring two more people, reports said.
Another 81 people were taken to area hospitals.
Hundreds of passengers were evacuated from the DC Metro’s L’Enfant Plaza station at about 3:30 p.m. when plumes of smoke filled the air.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the smoke was caused by an electrical short in the tracks.
“There was a woman who was in distress on that train, and I’m sorry to say she’s passed away,” Metro general manager Richard Sarles said.
Commuters later described the panic and confusion.
“The train stopped and all of a sudden, it filled with smoke,” passenger Saleh Damiger told the Washington Post.
“There was no fire . . . lots of smoke only.
“People were choking. People were yelling.”
Most of the victims were taken to Medstar Washington Hospital Center, George Washington University Hospital and Howard University Hospital, where they were treated for smoke inhalation.
The NTSB said it was investigating, and a spokeswoman for the Metro system declined to give any further information about the incident.