Louisville Zoo train derails near gorilla house; 20 on board taken to hospitals, none critical

Louisville Zoo train derails, injuring at least 20

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — At least one person was seriously injured and 19 others were taken to hospitals, including several children, after a small train with Louisville Zoo visitors aboard derailed Monday, an emergency official said.

Zoo spokeswoman Kara Bussabarger said the 20 included 14 children and six adults. Some were taken to Kosair Children’s Hospital, where chief nursing officer Cis Gruebbel said the injuries varied.

The open-air train pulled by a small engine circles the zoo. It was carrying about 30 passengers when three cars and the engine fell off the rails near the gorilla exhibit. A person briefly trapped was able to be freed, Bussabarger said.

There were possibly two serious injuries, but no one was in critical shape, said Dr. Neal Richmond, CEO and medical director of Louisville Metro EMS.

One adult suffered a possible head injury, Richmond said, and was “a little confused initially” but was communicating and walking.

Those injured were from 2 months old to senior citizens, he said.

Besides the 20 riders taken to hospitals by ambulance, two people chose to seek medical attention on their own, Richmond said.

The derailment happened about 1½ hours before the zoo’s 6 p.m. closing, Bussabarger said. The train wasn’t in a public area but behind the gorilla exhibit, she said.

Zoo officials planned to reopen as scheduled Tuesday, but the train ride will be closed until further notice. Bussabarger said three Kentucky Department of Agriculture ride inspectors are investigating. The cause was not yet know, Bussabarger said.

The train ride opened 40 years ago, Bussabarger said in a statement. The one that derailed was bought in 2000, holds 40 to 50 passengers and averages 12 miles per hour around a track that is about two miles long, she said.

Associated Press writer Beth Campbell contributed to this report.

(This version CORRECTS Corrects number of inspectors and agency to state ag department sted U.S.; REVISES number of children and adults; ADDS that train ride closed for time being, details about ride. AP Video.)