Photo by photographynatalia.

The National Transportation Safety Board won’t investigate the weekend Red Line tunnel fire that killed one person and injured two others, in part, because of the government shutdown.

“Due to a lapse in funding, NTSB staff are furloughed,” a statement on the NTSB’s website says. “The agency can only engage in those activities necessary to address imminent threats to the safety of human life or for the protection of property. After careful consideration it was determined that this accident did not meet the criteria for exempting employees from furlough.”

NTSB says they’ll evaluate WMATA’s investigation report.

A contractor from New Jersey was killed and two WMATA employees were injured after a “welding accident” in a Metro tunnel near Union Station. The cause of the incident has yet to be determined, Metro says.

While DCist would like to get more information about the NTSB’s decision, we can’t.

Further, the NTSB public affairs staff has been furloughed therefore the NTSB will not be conducting press conferences, issuing press releases or responding to reporters’ questions on this accident.