WOODLAND, Wash. -- Two teenagers died Tuesday night when they were struck by an Amtrak train in southwest Washington.

At about 7:10 p.m., a northbound passenger train struck the two teenagers while they were standing on the tracks as a freight train passed southbound on the other side of the tracks.

When the engineer of the Amtrak train saw the teenagers on the tracks, he hit his whistle and brakes, but the pair didn't move. Deputies said it's likely that the two teenagers couldn't hear the approaching Amtrak train because of the sound of the freight train.

Elizabeth Melnick, who lives near the tracks, said she heard the train's warning Tuesday night.

"It was blaring a lot longer and a lot more often," Melnick said. "Little did I know, there were people on the tracks they were trying to warn."

The Amtrak train is believed to have been traveling 75 to 79 mph when it hit the teenagers. According to BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas, about 50 trains use the lines in the area daily.

The incident occurred about a half-mile south of the Davidson Street crossing near Woodland, Wash. Cowlitz County Sheriff's Capt. Mark Nelson said the teenage victims lived in Woodland.

"This is a tragic accident for the Woodland community," Nelson said. "It is heartbreaking that two young lives were so quickly taken."

Nelson said the train tracks are private property and owned by the railroad. Pedestrian traffic is not allowed in the area and is considered trespassing.

The investigation shut down the train tracks for nearly four hours Tuesday night.

The identities of the two teenagers have not been released. Their families were informed of the deaths by Cowlitz County Coroner Tim Davidson and the sheriff's office chaplain.

On Wednesday morning, many Woodland-area residents, including Steven Otis, brought flowers to the site of the accident.

"I raised two kids of my own -- they're teens -- and this is a good community. There's a lot of good people here," Otis said. "It's just tragic."

Related:

2 Teens Struck, Killed By Amtrak Train

Slideshow: Scene Of Accident