At 30th Street Station, Red Cross Provides Counseling and Support For Survivors
By Paul Kurtz
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- More than a dozen Red Cross volunteers were on hand to help frazzled survivors of the train wreck as they trickled in last night and this morning.
Some arrived with no luggage or ID. Others were bruised and bandaged. Yet these could be considered the lucky ones.
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Spokesman Anthony Tornetta says most had been treated for bumps and bruises.
"People that we saw this morning were primarily coming from hospitals," he told KYW Newsradio. "Most of them were being discharged this morning. They were coming directly here to secure their transportation home."
He says that by midmorning, the Red Cross had helped about 60 people.
"Many of them came in with very sombre expressions on their faces. The very neat thing about what we do as a Red Cross organization is that when you see the Red Cross, it brightens the mood. It lets people know that there's hope. It lets people know that they're not alone," Tornetta said.
Andrew Cheng, of Singapore, remembers being thrown, with other passengers, to the floor of the train like a rag doll.
"Some were piling on top of the others," he said this morning. He was shaken but relieved to find out that 14 of his relatives also walked away from the accident.
"We know that we counted all the members (of the family) -- they're all there. I can't ask for more. That's good enough."