NEW YORK — Four people were killed and more than 60 were injured Sunday when a commuter train derailed in the Bronx.

The Fire Department of New York said more than 130 firefighters raced to the derailment scene just north of the Spuyten Duyvil station, helping extricate passengers and crew from the Metro-North train. Four or five of the southbound train's seven cars derailed in an area on the edge of the Hudson River near the station just north of Manhattan, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said.

The crash shattered the Sunday morning calm in one of the city's most bucolic neighborhoods. Wilma Rosen has lived-in the Spyten Dyvll section of the Bronx for 35 years. Hilly, leafy and on the water at the confluence of the Harlem and Hudson rivers, "it's such a beautiful spot. Most people's idea of the Bronx is not like this," she said.

The train originated at 5:54 a.m. in Poughkeepsie, one of New York City's northern suburbs. The derailment, at about 7:20 a.m., forced a suspension of all service on the Hudson line between Grand Central Station in Manhattan and the Croton Harmon station in Westchester County, a northern suburb.

The New York City Police Department declared a "level-three mobilization" — a somewhat-common alert for a serious incident — sending officers from across the Bronx to the derailment scene. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a "Go-Team" to investigate the tragedy.

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who arrived at the scene later Sunday morning, said all train passengers and crew were accounted for. The cause of the derailment remained under investigation.

"What we do know is four people lost their lives in the holiday season after Thanksgiving," said Cuomo, who called for memorial prayers. Cuomo said 11 of the 63 injuries were considered critical, with the remainder less serious.

Families trying to get information about relatives or friends who were aboard the train were advised to contact New York City's 311 information system, Cuomo said.

NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the train engineer "got banged up somewhat, but is conscious and alert." The engineer made some "unofficial statements" to investigators, but that information is being withheld for the NTSB, Kelly said.

Frank Tatulli, a passenger on the train, told WABC-TV in New York that he takes the train every Sunday morning, and that it was travelling faster than usual as it approached a curve. Tatulli said he got out of the train on his own, but suffered head and neck injuries.

MTA President Tom Prendergast, who joined Cuomo for a briefing near the derailment site, said speed was one factor in the investigation. He also said the incident took place near the area of a July derailment, but was believed to involve a different track.

The White House released a statement saying President Obama had been briefed on the tragedy by Lisa Monaco, assistant to the President for homeland security and counterterrorism.

"His thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and families who lost a loved one and everyone affected by this incident," the statement said. "The White House will continue to stay in contact with the federal, state and local partners as they respond to this event."

Charles Manley lives with his family on fifth floor of apartment house overlooking the tracks on Palisade Avenue. He said he was in bed when he heard a sound "like someone dropping a pile of pipes down next to your head" -- even though the crash was hundreds of yards away and below.

"There there was this long terrible sound of sheet metal screeching," Manley said.

Enrie Morales, 50, of the Riverdale section of the Bronx, said she was out for her morning walk along an escarpment overlooking the tracks about 60 feet below.

"It sounded like the earth rumbled," she said. She ran to the edge of the cliff and saw train cars spread across the tracks like toys.
She said that for many years when she lived north of the city she took this early morning train. The train has fewer cars than most, she said.

"At that hour it's always the same people, the same conductors. Everybody knows everybody" and many passengers are asleep, she said.

The Metro-North's Hudson line serves New York City and Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties, ending in Poughkeepsie.

Service on the line was at first suspended from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central Station. Later Sunday morning, Metro-North said rail service was restored from Poughkeepsie to Tarrytown. Passengers would then take buses to the White Plains station on the Harlem line, where they would catch trains to and from Grand Central Station.

Amtrak Empire Line service between New York City and Albany was suspended after the derailment, according to a service update on the national rail carrier's website. However Amtrak Northeast Corridor service between New York City, Washington, D.C. and Boston was not affected, according to the update.

Contributing: Bart Jansen; David Jackson