The GW Hospital treated 34 people for health issues Monday and Tuesday after smoke filled a Metro car leaving the L’Enfant Plaza station.
One woman died and at least two others are in critical condition after the train stopped and filled with smoke Monday, the Washington Post reported.
A spokesperson for the GW Hospital told the Washington Post that most people admitted were “moderately to mildly ill.” Other victims were sent to Howard University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center. More than 80 passengers overall were hospitalized after the incident.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the accident. A preliminary report said that electrical arcing, when electricity escapes from the third rail that powers the train, caused the car to stop.
D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser released a statement after the incident, sending her condolences to the family of the woman who died.
“I want to thank our brave first responders who assisted passengers during the evacuation and with treatment at the scene,” she said. “I have been in contact with the WMATA leadership, and we will continue to keep the District’s resources available in the aftermath of the incident.”
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said that service on the Yellow Line will be replaced with Blue Line trains between Huntington and Largo Town Center, via Rosslyn, because of the incident.