WMATA on Twitter from nine minutes ago:

"Red Line: Trains are turning back at Rhode Island Avenue & Silver Spring due to a situation outside of Fort Totten station. Shuttle bus ser"

Read More "WMATA Twitter Dubs Metro Crash ‘A Situation’" »

The Washington Post is reporting that the metro car involved in the Red Line crash yesterday was due for brake maintenance. The Post writes:

"The Metro train car that slammed into another on the Red Line yesterday evening was two months past due for scheduled maintenance on its brakes, and the car was an older model that federal officials had recommended be replaced because of concerns about its safety in a crash, officials said today....

According to a Metro source knowledgeable about railcar maintenance, the first car of the striking train was two months behind on a scheduled maintenance for changing out brakes and brake components."

Read More "Metro Crash Train Was Due For Brake Fix; Names Of Some Dead Released" »

So how did the Red Line metro crash death toll jump to nine last night then fall back to seven this morning and then back up to nine? Last night, City Desk reported that three news outlets---WUSA9, WTOP, and WJLA---had confirmed that nine had died in the crash. WTOP cited the D.C. Fire Department as its source. WJLA had cited Metro.

This morning, Fenty stated that the number of confirmed dead was actually seven. That number soon increased back up to nine.

At least one fire department official is trying to figure out how and why there was so much confusion. One reporter City Desk contacted speculates that it may have to do with just the gruesomeness of the scene.

Read More "Metro Crash Death Count: WTF" »

The death toll in the metro crash went back up to nine this morning. The number rose a few hours after Fenty insisted the number was seven at the morning press conference. The Washington Post reports:

"The number of people killed in last night's deadly Red Line crash has risen to nine, Metro's general manager said this morning, shortly after five bodies were removed from the mangled wreckage...

Several of the dead were crushed, their bodies not located until a crane removed part of the striking train this morning."

Last night, three local news outlets had reported that nine had been confirmed dead. The news orgs had cited the fire department and Metro as sources. [The Fire Department refused to confirm that number late last night when City Desk called]. The Washington Post would only say the death toll was expected to rise to nine.

WUSA is reporting that nine people have died from this evening's Metro crash:

"9NEWS NOW has confirmed there are nine dead from the collision, and officials say there are 67 people injured. The Fire Department Chief said that up to six of those people sustained life-threatening injuries, another 14 have less threatening injuries and more than 50 people have what officials call 'walking injuries.'"

WTOP confirms nine dead.

The New York Times has President Obama's statement on the crash:

“Michelle and I were saddened by the terrible accident in Northeast Washington, D.C., today. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends affected by this tragedy. I want to thank the brave first responders who arrived immediately to save lives. My staff has been in touch with Mayor Fenty’s office and will continue to monitor the situation.”

As of midnight, both the Times and the Washington Post have yet to report on the increased fatalities.

WJLA now confirms that nine passengers have died. Its source: Metro.

"The official death toll rose to nine from six about 11:30 p.m., Metro confirmed.

Crews will remain on the scene overnight, using cutting tools and the jaws of life to disentangle and separate the twisted cars which were ripped open and smashed together by the force of the collision."

Just after midnight, City Desk contacted D.C. Fire Department Deputy Chief Kenneth Crosswhite who says he called the command post regarding the death toll. He says the death toll is still listed at six. "They are still at six," Crosswhite says. "I don't know where they are coming up with that number."

Read More "Breaking: Nine Confirmed Dead In Red Line Metro Crash" »

NBC 4 Washington has the live video.

Mike DeBonis is calling in from the site of the Red Line collision near the Fort Totten station.

UPDATE 6:40 p.m.:

One Red Line train had been stopped on the tracks. It had just begun to move when it was struck from behind by a speeding train.

Brenda Payton was on the speeding train. "We just felt a big crunch and saw smoke and stuff. We got off the train as fast as we could." Payton is from Fort Washington, and she was heading home. Another woman on that train, Anastasia McKeown, says that just before the impact, the ramming train slowed down. "Then we felt an impact just after that. You could tell we hit something that wasn't an animal."

Though McKeown was in the last car, she saw one of the plastic partitions in the ramming train fall on someone's head. McKeown had back and neck injuries. A triage area for victims has been set up outside Jarvoe Jarboe Printing Co. People there are mostly folks who've been injured but are not in critical condition.

As for the stopped train, here's one account of what happened. Dennis, who declined to give his last name, says his train had just barely started to move when the impact happened. Dennis stepped out of the train and could see "three or four people on the ground, all bloody." Dennis was in the fifth car, one removed from the impact. After staggering out of the train, he spotted a woman on top of that sixth car, and blood was streaming down. "The interior of that car just got crushed," said Dennis.

Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser is now being interviewed on WRC-TV about the deadly train crash on the Red Line. "We have seen the police department and the fire department respond in a very coordinated way," says the councilmember, who represents the area in which the collision occurred.

At this moment, Dr. Gridlock is in the vanguard of Washington Post coverage of this afternoon's train mishap in Northeast D.C. The item credits WJLA-TV and CNN for key facts on the accident.

Here's one commenter from the washingtonpost.com on the matter:

How is the Washington Post being scooped about a potentially serious metro rail collision? This happened about 45 minutes ago, and it's still in little print at the bottom of the Post web page. Come on guys. Surely you haven't all taken the buy out?

Comes this dispatch, via Dr. Gridlock:

A Red Line Metrorail train derailed at 5:10 p.m. approaching Fort Totten in the Shady Grove-bound side. Trains are turning back at Brookland and Takoma....Metro says that shuttle bus service has been requested to bridge the gap between Takoma and Brookland.

There are reports of injuries. Developing.

UPDATE, 5:35 P.M.: This seems quite a bit worse than a minor derailment. WJLA-TV reports:

Metro confirms two trains have collided on the Red Line between the Takoma and Fort Totten stations. It happened close to the Fort Totten station, a Metro spokesperson said.

D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman Alan Etter said one train was on top of the other train.

This is "developing into a mass casualty event," Etter said. "We're expecting a number of injuries. We're not aware of any fatalities at this point."

Update, 5:46 p.m.: ABC News/News Channel 8 is reporting one fatality. Reporter Brad Bell saw the fatality being taken from the accident scene. At least nine people injured. The fatality appears to be a male. Many passengers still stuck inside metro cars. Fire Department spokesman Alan Etter confirms one dead on WTOP.

Here is the official Metro alert:

"Metro reports that 2 train collided and one train is on top of the other train.  Metro reports massive injuries at this time. The green line and the red line are affected. Further information to follow."

It looks like the accident ocurred just beyond the Fort Totten stop.

Read More "Red Line Trains Collide Near Fort Totten: Deadliest Crash In Metro History" »

A woman was struck by a Metro Red Line train at 9:25 a.m. at the Gallery Place/Chinatown station, says Angela Gates, a Metro spokeswoman. The woman apparently survived the accident, but there are no details on her name or her exact condition, Gates says.

The accident has limited service on the Red Line, Gates says. Passengers must now exit the Red Line at either the Farragut North or Judiciary Square exits. Gates did not know when full service may resume.

As far as the accident, the spokeswoman said it was still under investigation, and Metro does not yet know the cause.

Given the volume of passengers today, it's somewhat surprising that more accidents haven't occured. By 9 a.m. today, more than 409,000 people had already taken the Metro.

WAMU is reporting that someone fell off the platform at Gallery Place 40 minutes ago. The person is reportedly still alive and was hit between the crawl space and the train, according to a Metro spokesperson. Major delays on Red Line in both directions as a result. This after technical problems on that line this a.m. If you're thinking of hopping on, pick a bus instead. They're crowded, but running.