Nation IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Smoky Train Fire Closes Penn Station

A smoky train fire closed Penn Station for nearly three hours, shutting down passenger service on Amtrak and two large suburban commuter lines and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people. Nine people suffered minor smoke-related injuries. The shutdown affected thousands of Amtrak passengers in the busy Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston. Smoke billowing from vents and entrances were seen by passers-by. The precise cause of the fire was unknown, but a spokesman said it apparently began underneath the engine of an Amtrak train that had pulled in from Upstate New York.