jeanice mcmillan

jeanice mcmillan WASHINGTON — The worst accident in 33-year history of Metrorail, Washington’s subway system, is under investigation by authorities trying to determine why a train plowed into the rear of another, killing at least nine people and injuring scores of others.

A District of Columbia Fire Department Web site said rescue workers located three bodies in the wreckage late Monday night. All three were declared dead at the scene.

Earlier Monday, officials confirmed six deaths, including the operator of the trailing train, Jeanice McMillan of Springfield, Va. Metro spokesman Steve Taubenkibel said McMillan had been a Metro employee since January 2007.

Debbie Hersman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said investigators would cast a wide net, including checking operator procedures and track signals, interviewing witnesses and inspecting the tracks themselves. She said officials also were searching the wreckage for devices on the trains that record operating speeds and commands.