Photo by photographynatalia.

Update: Metro says the root cause of the fire “has not yet been determined. It is not yet known if there was a fluid leak or another mechanical issue. All contractor-owned and WMATA equipment at the site is being inspected at this time.” The contractor who died, 41-year-old Harold Ingrham of New Jersey, was struck by the piece of rail, Metro says.

Original post

One contractor was killed and two WMATA workers were injured this morning in what Metro described as a “welding accident” that caused a fire in a Red Line tunnel.

Welding equipment and leaking hydraulic fluid ignited an explosion and fire between the Union Station and Judiciary Square stations just after midnight, a Metro spokesperson told the Post. Update: Metro now says the cause of the fire has not been determined. According to a statement on Metro’s website, the contractor was providing welding services and later died at an area hospital. The two WMATA workers injured “are being treated for injuries that are serious but considered non-life-threatening.”

Metro is conducting an investigation and has notified both the National Transportation Safety Board and Tri-state Oversight Committee. Red Line track work was suspended and crews were briefed ont he incident: “Work will continue to restore the track after all safety briefings and on-site investigations have been completed.”