Woman leaps into river after Boston subway train bursts into flames

Terrified commuters were forced to escape a burning train that caught fire on a bridge by scrambling through windows, while a woman jumped into the river below.

A Boston subway train burst into flames on a bridge on Thursday morning, causing chaos as commuters escaped through windows and one resorted to jumping into the river below.

Wild video taken from inside the train showed passengers climbing through windows of the train and fleeing onto the tracks, the NY Post reports.

NEW: Video shows Orange Line riders jumping out of windows after a train car caught on fire over the Mystic River.

The MBTA says a person even jumped from the bridge into the water. They declined medical attention. pic.twitter.com/xTdSWFlP2L

— Rob Way (@RobWayTV) July 21, 2022

Welp, got my morning walk in I guess pic.twitter.com/N2OlVk37CC

— PJ G. (@PJayG) July 21, 2022

Footage from the tracks also shows passengers-turned-good Samaritans catching one another as they jumped out the windows with smoke billowing around them.

The Orange Line train was travelling over the Mystic River when it burst into flames. Picture: @PJayG/Twitter

“An unidentified female passenger jumped off the bridge into the river,” Somerville Fire Chief Charles Breen told the Boston Globe.

“Our marine boat happened to be in the river for training and was on scene immediately. The woman refused to get into the boat. She was provided a life jacket and proceeded to swim to shore … then she walked away.”

The Orange Line train on Boston’s MBTA system was travelling over the Mystic River when it burst into flames just before 7am, the Globe reported.

Commuters climbed through windows to escape. Picture: @tvnewzted/Twitter

Local authorities said 200 passengers evacuated the train, which was headed toward a Somerville, Massachusetts, station. There have been no reported injuries or deaths.

“Welp, got my morning walk in I guess,” a Twitter user named PJ posted along with a video of himself and others walking along the Orange Line tracks after fleeing the burning train.

“The train stopped and sparks starting coming out of the front, probably about three feet behind the driver,” witness John Gosselin told Boston 25 News.

An unidentified female passenger jumped off the bridge into the river. Picture: Twitter

Mr Gosselin was staying in a nearby hotel and had a view of the bridge from his room.

“I saw a flame and then I knew something was up,” he said.

“It engulfed very, very quickly. The flames were shooting up. The smoke got very black.”

The MBTA said regular service resumed on the Orange Line by 10.30am and cited “mechanical problems”.

The cause of the fire has not been revealed.

This article originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Woman leaps into river after Boston subway train bursts into flames