Donald Trump said Monday that a deadly train derailment in the state of Washington has proved the need for a nationwide push to repair crumbling infrastructure – before officials commented on the cause of the crash.

'The train accident that just occured [sic] in DuPont, WA shows more than ever why our soon to be submitted infrastructure plan must be approved quickly,' the president tweeted as rescuers sifted through debris.

'Seven trillion dollars spent in the Middle East while our roads bridges, tunnels, railways (and more) crumble! Not for long!'

The train jumped a brand-new section of track, laid as a high-speed bypass to an older, more curving section.

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An Amtrak train derailed near DuPont, Washington around 7:40 a.m. Monday

President Donald Trump leapt to blame crumbling rail lines for the crash, even though the train jumped a new section of track

The president said the derailment proved the need for sweeping new infrastructure spending

He followed up with a tweet offering 'thoughts and prayers' for those affected.

Trump also addressed the crash at the beginning of an afternoon speech outlining a new national security strategy, calling it 'all the more reason why we must start immediately fixing the infrastructure of the United States.'

As he spoke, news reports described preliminary reports from authorities saying the train struck an object on the tracks. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

At least 77 injuries and six deaths were reported on the scene.

It was the first day of a new high-speed service linking Portland and Seattle

Above, an aerial views of the crash site above. One car fell on to the highway on the right side of the track, while others derailed into the woods on the other side

The Amtrak catastrophe came during the maiden voyage of a new high-speed service linking Seattle and Portland.

Train 501 was heading south when it derailed while crossing a bridge over Interstate 5 near DuPont, Washington around 7:40 a.m. Pacific Time, causing at least one car to fall onto the freeway below.

Amtrak confirmed its train was involved but did not provide further information.

'We are aware of an incident involving Amtrak train 501,' the rail operator said on Twitter. 'We will update with additional details as they become available.'

Seventy-eight passengers were on board at the time, in addition to five crew. The train can fit around 250 people

It was the first day of the new $181 million high-speed Cascade service, which rerouted trains down 14 miles of updated track. The new bypass between Tacoma and DuPont is straighter, meaning that trains can go faster than they did on the winding old line.

Seventy-eight passengers were on board, in addition to five crew members, KIRO reported. According to the Washington Department of Transportation, the train can carry about 250 passengers.

Despite the fact that the train hit several cars and trucks on the freeway below, no motorists were killed.