3 injured in fiery train derailment caused by rockslide
Fiery Train Derailment Leaves 3 Injured in Rockslide Disaster
CSX freight train derails after striking rockslide in West Virginia, injuring 3 and spilling diesel into river
A CSX freight train derailed Wednesday morning after a rock slide in a remote area of West Virginia, injuring three crew members and spilling diesel into a nearby river, the company said in a news release.
Three crew members were on the locomotive that caught fire after the derailment and are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, CSX said. Two were airlifted and the third was taken to the hospital by ambulance, a Summers County Office of Emergency Management dispatcher told CNN.
Diesel fuel and crude oil spilled into the New River and containment measures will be in place, CSX said. The company also noted that the coal train was empty and not carrying hazardous materials. CSX spokeswoman Sheriee Bowman told CNN that 22 empty railcars derailed.
“The incident did not pose any danger to the public,” the CSX release said.
The derailment comes about a month after a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed and caught fire near East Palestine, Ohio, releasing potentially hazardous chemicals into the air and water. The incident sparked political efforts by both political parties to prevent future incidents.
The Federal Railroad Administration says it is actively monitoring Wednesday’s derailment and said the fire has been extinguished. The administration said this occurred on the Amtrak route, so residual delays can be expected.
At least one locomotive and one fuel tank went into the New River, the West Virginia Division of Emergency Management said. The division said the derailment occurred in a remote area south of Sandstone inside the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, which will become the 63rd U.S. national park in 2021.
Sam Richmond posted photos of the crash on Facebook that he took from a cliff above the scene. Photos show a train on fire and an overturned train car resting in the New River.
CSX owns 12 feet of the center of the train track on both sides and is responsible for the cleanup, the division said, adding praise for the initial efforts of the company and first responders.
“I would like to commend the emergency agencies and CSX for their quick and efficient response,” said Summers County Emergency Manager Steve Lipscomb. “All agencies worked as a team to provide rapid medical assistance and transport to the injured.”
No roads are closed and no nearby homes have been evacuated, the division said.
