Agency identifies passenger killed in D.C. Metro train smoke

An investigation into the cause of smoke that killed one person and injured dozens on a D.C. Metro train could take six to 12 months, a National Transportation Safety Board spokesman said Tuesday.

Metro also identified the passenger who died as Carol Inman Glover, 61, of Alexandria, Va.

Eighty-four patients were taken to hospitals and more than 200 people were evaluated after smoke filled a subway tunnel and L’Enfant Plaza Metro station on Monday.

As of Tuesday evening, two passengers were still hospitalized at Washington Hospital Center, one in serious condition and one in fair condition, a hospital spokesman said. Four patients had been released.

According to Metro, seven patients were still being treated at George Washington University Hospital. All patients taken to Howard University Hospital had been treated and released, the agency said in a statement.

The NTSB is investigating the incident, which started about 3 p.m. Monday. It was caused by an electrical problem, NTSB investigator Mike Flanigon told reporters Monday night.

A southbound Yellow Line train stopped about 800 feet beyond the platform at the L’Enfant Plaza station, Flanigon said. About 1,100 feet beyond where it halted, “there was an electrical arcing event” involving the electric third rail that powers the train and supply cables leading to the rail, he said.

The tunnel was filled with smoke and passengers got out of the train by themselves, Flanigon said.

The train did not derail and there was no fire.

NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said the agency was working to provide an update on the investigation within a week.