A barber, on the way to his shop, was in the third of the six-car Washington Metro Red Line train that derailed this morning in the capital city. The man, known as King John, said the train stopped suddenly and there was a "slight bang."
While lights flickered and passengers gasped in panic, the operator announced the train had derailed. The accident occurred near Farragut North station at approximately 10:13 a.m.
As of 1:10 p.m. EST, no injuries were reported. The derailment closed parts of Connecticut Avenue.
Passengers were stranded for about 90 minutes.
"It wasn't major," King John added.
Washington, D.C.'s Metrorail is one of the busiest rapid transit systems in the United States, making about 200 million trips each year. Most passengers on board Friday know the history of the system, which King said, added additional stress to the accident.
There have been several derailments and collisions, resulting in dozens of injuries, since the Metro opened in 1976. Eight people have died.
Federal offices were open today for the first time in four days after two winter storms dumped about four feet of snow on the nation's capital. The government opened under a delayed arrival, an unscheduled leave where workers were permitted to be up to 2 hours late with pay.
Read earlier reports on Washington, D.C. HERE.
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