An Amtrak train running between Seattle and Chicago derailed in north-central Montana on Saturday afternoon, killing at least three people, according to a Liberty County Sheriff's Office spokesperson.

The Associated Press reported that three individuals died in the derailment, according to dispatcher Starr Tyler. She didn't have any additional information. Amtrak said multiple injuries in a statement.

According to Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams, the Empire Builder train derailed around 4 p.m. near Joplin, a community of about 200 people. The accident occurred approximately 241 kilometers north of Helena and 48 kilometers from the Canadian border.

According to Abrams, the train had 147 passengers and 13 crew members on board.

Megan Vandervest, a train passenger on her way to see a friend in Seattle, told The New York Times that the derailment jolted her awake.

Because I have anxiety and have read stories of trains derailing, my instinct was that we were derailing, said Vandervest from Minneapolis.

My second reaction was, "Wow, that's crazy." We wouldn't go off the rails. That doesn't happen.

The car behind hers was slanted over, the one behind that was tipped entirely dead, and the three cars behind that had wholly gone off the tracks and were separated from the train, she told the New York Times.

Vandervest said it felt like terrible turbulence on a plane as he spoke from the Liberty County Senior Center, where passengers were transported.

According to Abrams, Amtrak worked with local authorities to transfer injured passengers while safely evacuating all other passengers.

Several cars were shown on their sides in photos shared on social media. Some passengers were lugging bags and standing near the tracks.

The photographs showed clear skies, and the accident occurred on a straight stretch of track.