Train derailments and explosions and chemical spills
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Authorities are not sure what the mechanism of ignition is. The investigation is on going.
Rescue crews have been combing through the rubble for three to five people who might have been at the site before the Saturday morning blast.
Three sets of remains were found in the rubble of a gas station explosion in Rockbridge County, Virginia, state police said.
Matching the remains to identities could take several days, Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation Sgt. Rick Garletts said in a statement Saturday afternoon.
The explosion at the fuel stop, called South River Market, was reported about 9:30 Saturday morning, and rescue crews have been combing through the rubble in an initial search for three to five people who might have been at the site before the blast.
Four injured in the explosion were taken to Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital hospital.
State police opened a criminal investigation at the behest of local authorities. However, Garletts emphasized that every investigation by his bureau is a criminal inquiry until the facts prove otherwise.
State police initially said in a statement on the explosion, "At this time it does not appear suspicious in nature."
Neighbor Ryan Clark told NBC News affiliate WSLS of Roanoke, Virginia that he saw fire after the blast.
"All you could see was probably an 80-foot tower of flame and smoke going everywhere and debris everywhere," he said. "And by the time I got to the tracks there, you could just see there's this utter devastation."
Rescue crews have been combing through the rubble for three to five people who might have been at the site before the Saturday morning blast.
Three sets of remains were found in the rubble of a gas station explosion in Rockbridge County, Virginia, state police said.
Matching the remains to identities could take several days, Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation Sgt. Rick Garletts said in a statement Saturday afternoon.
The explosion at the fuel stop, called South River Market, was reported about 9:30 Saturday morning, and rescue crews have been combing through the rubble in an initial search for three to five people who might have been at the site before the blast.
Four injured in the explosion were taken to Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital hospital.
State police opened a criminal investigation at the behest of local authorities. However, Garletts emphasized that every investigation by his bureau is a criminal inquiry until the facts prove otherwise.
State police initially said in a statement on the explosion, "At this time it does not appear suspicious in nature."
Neighbor Ryan Clark told NBC News affiliate WSLS of Roanoke, Virginia that he saw fire after the blast.
"All you could see was probably an 80-foot tower of flame and smoke going everywhere and debris everywhere," he said. "And by the time I got to the tracks there, you could just see there's this utter devastation."
angelburst29
The Living Force
Pakistan, as well as India, need to re-vamp and modernize their railways and infrastructure.
Pakistan PM hits out at poor railways as crash kills 11, injures dozens
A passenger train crashed into a stationary freight train in Pakistan on Thursday, killing 11 people and injuring more than 60 under overturned carriages, police said, with the prime minister blaming aging, poorly maintained rail infrastructure.
Pakistan PM hits out at poor railways as crash kills 11, injures dozens
A passenger train crashed into a stationary freight train in Pakistan on Thursday, killing 11 people and injuring more than 60 under overturned carriages, police said, with the prime minister blaming aging, poorly maintained rail infrastructure.
LINCOLN COUNTY, Nevada, July 10, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A train derailment Wednesday morning near Caliente, Nevada, has caused heavy damage to dozens of new cars and pickups being hauled, and has closed a road in southeastern Nevada for seven to 10 days.
“The county road from Elgin to Carp is completely closed until at least tomorrow (07/11/19) and then it will remain partially closed for the next 7-10 days due to the train derailment this morning,” a Wednesday morning statement from the Lincoln County (Nev.) Sheriff’s Office says.
“There are construction equipment, train cars, and debris blocking the roadway. UPRR (Union Pacific Railroad) is working to get the area cleaned up and the road back open as quick as they can.”
Thirty-three train cars derailed, according to released information. The accident happened at about 9 a.m., and happened approximately 30 miles west of the Utah border.
Caliente is about a 111 mile drive from St. George and a 96 miles drive from Cedar City.
“The county road from Elgin to Carp is completely closed until at least tomorrow (07/11/19) and then it will remain partially closed for the next 7-10 days due to the train derailment this morning,” a Wednesday morning statement from the Lincoln County (Nev.) Sheriff’s Office says.
“There are construction equipment, train cars, and debris blocking the roadway. UPRR (Union Pacific Railroad) is working to get the area cleaned up and the road back open as quick as they can.”
Thirty-three train cars derailed, according to released information. The accident happened at about 9 a.m., and happened approximately 30 miles west of the Utah border.
Caliente is about a 111 mile drive from St. George and a 96 miles drive from Cedar City.
angelburst29
The Living Force
The U.S. needs to head is this same direction that Cuba is taking!
Cuba takes first step in railways upgrade with Chinese, Russian help
Cuba's first new train passenger cars in more than four decades set off on their maiden journey across the island on Saturday in what the government hopes will prove a total revamp of its decrepit railway system with help from allies Russia and China.
Cuba’s railway system is one of the oldest in the world; its first stretch was launched in the 1830s. But it has suffered from a lack of maintenance and new equipment in an inefficient state-run economy under a crippling U.S. trade embargo that lacks cash.
Trains have for years been one of the cheapest but also least efficient ways to travel long distances on the Caribbean’s largest island, typically taking 24 hours to cross the nearly 900 km (600 miles) from Havana in the west to Santiago in the east - twice as long as by car.
Tickets are often elusive, with the ramshackle infrastructure unable to cope with the demand, and trains do not run on schedule. Passengers, meanwhile, must contend with missing windows and doors, and cracked seats. Accidents have become increasingly common in recent years.
But Cuba’s government is planning to change all that by 2030, starting with upgrading its equipment, before moving onto the more daunting task of restoring the railroads.
In May, it received 80 Chinese-made, gleaming blue rail cars, including those that set off eastwards from Havana on Saturday, and expects to receive 80 more next year, according to state-run website Cubadebate.
“This is the first step of the transformation of the Cuban railway system,” said Eduardo Hernandez, head of the National Railway Co of Cuba.
Cuba takes first step in railways upgrade with Chinese, Russian help
Cuba's first new train passenger cars in more than four decades set off on their maiden journey across the island on Saturday in what the government hopes will prove a total revamp of its decrepit railway system with help from allies Russia and China.
Cuba’s railway system is one of the oldest in the world; its first stretch was launched in the 1830s. But it has suffered from a lack of maintenance and new equipment in an inefficient state-run economy under a crippling U.S. trade embargo that lacks cash.
Trains have for years been one of the cheapest but also least efficient ways to travel long distances on the Caribbean’s largest island, typically taking 24 hours to cross the nearly 900 km (600 miles) from Havana in the west to Santiago in the east - twice as long as by car.
Tickets are often elusive, with the ramshackle infrastructure unable to cope with the demand, and trains do not run on schedule. Passengers, meanwhile, must contend with missing windows and doors, and cracked seats. Accidents have become increasingly common in recent years.
But Cuba’s government is planning to change all that by 2030, starting with upgrading its equipment, before moving onto the more daunting task of restoring the railroads.
In May, it received 80 Chinese-made, gleaming blue rail cars, including those that set off eastwards from Havana on Saturday, and expects to receive 80 more next year, according to state-run website Cubadebate.
“This is the first step of the transformation of the Cuban railway system,” said Eduardo Hernandez, head of the National Railway Co of Cuba.
angelburst29
The Living Force
August 3, 2019 - Train derails in Canada's Alberta, causes evacuation
A train derailed in Canada’s southern Alberta province on Friday, prompting an evacuation of nearby residents for fear of chemical exposure and disrupting road and highway access, the Alberta government said. There were no immediate reports of any injuries or casualties.
The derailment caused damage along the railway line and “chemical exposure,” according to the Alberta Emergency Alert.
Residents within a 7-kilometer (4.35-mile) radius were told to evacuate the area immediately, it said. The incident led to the shut down of part of the Trans-Canada highway, a media report said.
A train derailed in Canada’s southern Alberta province on Friday, prompting an evacuation of nearby residents for fear of chemical exposure and disrupting road and highway access, the Alberta government said. There were no immediate reports of any injuries or casualties.
The derailment caused damage along the railway line and “chemical exposure,” according to the Alberta Emergency Alert.
Residents within a 7-kilometer (4.35-mile) radius were told to evacuate the area immediately, it said. The incident led to the shut down of part of the Trans-Canada highway, a media report said.
angelburst29
The Living Force
Hong Kong faces commuter chaos after rare train derailment
Emergency crew are seen at a derailed train wreckage near Hung Hom station on the MTR East Rail Line following an accident on a train bound for Mong Kok East in Hong Kong, China September 17, 2019 still image taken from a social media video. @SEELIFEHK via REUTERS
A rare train derailment disrupted services in Hong Kong on Tuesday, train authorities said, threatening commuter chaos during rush hour in the heart of the Asian financial hub.
The disruption to a usually seamless network used by nearly 6 million people every weekday happened after a train derailed while leaving a station in the city’s Kowloon area, rail operator MTR Corp said.
Local media reported that one person was injured. MTR did not immediately give a reason for the accident.
Hong Kong’s rail system has been a target of vandalism during recent pro democracy protests in the city with activists angry that MTR has closed stations to stop protesters gathering.
Television footage on Tuesday morning showed hundreds of passengers trying to disembark from the derailed train. Public broadcaster RTHK said the train suddenly swayed and a door flew off before the train stopped.
Nearby stations were overcrowded with a backlog of trains unable to move and trains which normally run at two minute intervals were delayed to run at 12 minute intervals.
Shares of MTR fell 1.1% in line with the broader Hang Seng Index which was down 1%.
Emergency crew are seen at a derailed train wreckage near Hung Hom station on the MTR East Rail Line following an accident on a train bound for Mong Kok East in Hong Kong, China September 17, 2019 still image taken from a social media video. @SEELIFEHK via REUTERS
A rare train derailment disrupted services in Hong Kong on Tuesday, train authorities said, threatening commuter chaos during rush hour in the heart of the Asian financial hub.
The disruption to a usually seamless network used by nearly 6 million people every weekday happened after a train derailed while leaving a station in the city’s Kowloon area, rail operator MTR Corp said.
Local media reported that one person was injured. MTR did not immediately give a reason for the accident.
Hong Kong’s rail system has been a target of vandalism during recent pro democracy protests in the city with activists angry that MTR has closed stations to stop protesters gathering.
Television footage on Tuesday morning showed hundreds of passengers trying to disembark from the derailed train. Public broadcaster RTHK said the train suddenly swayed and a door flew off before the train stopped.
Nearby stations were overcrowded with a backlog of trains unable to move and trains which normally run at two minute intervals were delayed to run at 12 minute intervals.
Shares of MTR fell 1.1% in line with the broader Hang Seng Index which was down 1%.
At least 5 people have been killed, and 92 injured as the result of a train derailment in Sistan and Baluchestan province, near the Pakistan border.
www.presstv.com
Sep 25, 2019
Train derailment kills 5, injures 92 in southeast Iran
Four people died and many more were injured after their train derailed near Zahedan, in southeast Iran.
www.presstv.com
angelburst29
The Living Force
Two train derailments being reported in northern Italy and in Canada.
High-speed train derails in northern Italy, two drivers die February 6, 2020
A high-speed train derailed in northern Italy in the early hours of Thursday, killing its two drivers, injuring scores of people and disrupting traffic on the busy line between Milan and Bologna, officials said.
The train skipped the tracks while traveling at an estimated 280 kph (175 mph), with the front engine jumping onto an adjacent track and smashing into idle freight wagons before coming to a stop several hundred meters (yards) distant.
The front passenger wagon decoupled from the engine and was left lying on its side, while the rest of the train managed to stay upright.
Only 33 people were aboard the train, which left Italy’s financial capital Milan at 5.10 a.m. (0410 GMT), the first high-speed service of the day. It was heading to the southern city of Salerno when it flew off the rails after just 20 minutes, near the small town of Livraga.
The emergency services said 27 people were hurt, but none had life-threatening injuries.
Officials said maintenance had been carried out on the line overnight and investigators were looking to see if this work might have caused the disaster.
Canadian Pacific train derails near Guernsey, Saskatchewan February 6, 2020
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd's freight train derailed near Guernsey, Saskatchewan early on Thursday, the railroad said, making it the second such accident in the same area in a span of two months.
Media reports said bit.ly/3bjLi0z the train was possibly hauling oil, as the derailment, which took place more than 100 kilometers southeast of Saskatoon, had caused a massive fire.
In December, a CP train hauling oil had derailed west of Guernsey, Saskatchewan.
High-speed train derails in northern Italy, two drivers die February 6, 2020
A high-speed train derailed in northern Italy in the early hours of Thursday, killing its two drivers, injuring scores of people and disrupting traffic on the busy line between Milan and Bologna, officials said.
The train skipped the tracks while traveling at an estimated 280 kph (175 mph), with the front engine jumping onto an adjacent track and smashing into idle freight wagons before coming to a stop several hundred meters (yards) distant.
The front passenger wagon decoupled from the engine and was left lying on its side, while the rest of the train managed to stay upright.
Only 33 people were aboard the train, which left Italy’s financial capital Milan at 5.10 a.m. (0410 GMT), the first high-speed service of the day. It was heading to the southern city of Salerno when it flew off the rails after just 20 minutes, near the small town of Livraga.
The emergency services said 27 people were hurt, but none had life-threatening injuries.
Officials said maintenance had been carried out on the line overnight and investigators were looking to see if this work might have caused the disaster.
Canadian Pacific train derails near Guernsey, Saskatchewan February 6, 2020
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd's freight train derailed near Guernsey, Saskatchewan early on Thursday, the railroad said, making it the second such accident in the same area in a span of two months.
Media reports said bit.ly/3bjLi0z the train was possibly hauling oil, as the derailment, which took place more than 100 kilometers southeast of Saskatoon, had caused a massive fire.
In December, a CP train hauling oil had derailed west of Guernsey, Saskatchewan.
angelburst29
The Living Force
Two killed as Australian train derails
February 20, 2020 - Two people were killed and 12 others were injured when an Australian interstate train derailed outside Melbourne on Thursday evening, police said.
The train, which was traveling from Sydney, came off the rails near the town of Wallan, about 50 km (30 miles) from Melbourne.
Police said on Friday an unnamed male driver and an unidentified man died in the derailment.
Local media carried photos showing several carriages of the train askew off the tracks, with the locomotive on its side. “It is believed the train traveling from Sydney to Melbourne derailed near the Hume Freeway just before 8pm,” police in the state of Victoria said in an emailed statement.
Ambulance Victoria confirmed one of the injured had been flown to a Melbourne hospital and another four people had been taken to a second hospital, where they were in a stable condition. “A number of others will be taken to hospital with minor injuries,” Ambulance Victoria said.
Transport authorities in New South Wales said there were approximately 160 passengers on board the train.
February 20, 2020 - Two people were killed and 12 others were injured when an Australian interstate train derailed outside Melbourne on Thursday evening, police said.
The train, which was traveling from Sydney, came off the rails near the town of Wallan, about 50 km (30 miles) from Melbourne.
Police said on Friday an unnamed male driver and an unidentified man died in the derailment.
Local media carried photos showing several carriages of the train askew off the tracks, with the locomotive on its side. “It is believed the train traveling from Sydney to Melbourne derailed near the Hume Freeway just before 8pm,” police in the state of Victoria said in an emailed statement.
Ambulance Victoria confirmed one of the injured had been flown to a Melbourne hospital and another four people had been taken to a second hospital, where they were in a stable condition. “A number of others will be taken to hospital with minor injuries,” Ambulance Victoria said.
Transport authorities in New South Wales said there were approximately 160 passengers on board the train.
angelburst29
The Living Force
A high-speed TGV train running between Strasbourg in eastern France and Paris derailed on Thursday, injuring 20 people including one seriously, local officials said.
Twenty hurt after high-speed train derails in eastern France
March 5, 2020 - Police and emergency services rushed to the scene of the accident, which happened at 0745 (0845 (GMT) near Ingenheim in the Bas-Rhin area, the local prefecture said in a statement.
The initial assessment is that there is one wounded person who is an extremely urgent case, and 20 people who are being treated as relatively urgent cases,” the statement said. There were 348 passengers on board.
The state rail company SNCF said on Twitter that the train driver was “seriously injured” and evacuated by helicopter, adding that a major land slip caused the accident.
Other trains were being re-routed and there was no interruption to services, a spokesman for SNCF said.
Published on Mar 5, 2020 (0:59 min.)
Twenty hurt after high-speed train derails in eastern France
March 5, 2020 - Police and emergency services rushed to the scene of the accident, which happened at 0745 (0845 (GMT) near Ingenheim in the Bas-Rhin area, the local prefecture said in a statement.
The initial assessment is that there is one wounded person who is an extremely urgent case, and 20 people who are being treated as relatively urgent cases,” the statement said. There were 348 passengers on board.
The state rail company SNCF said on Twitter that the train driver was “seriously injured” and evacuated by helicopter, adding that a major land slip caused the accident.
Other trains were being re-routed and there was no interruption to services, a spokesman for SNCF said.
angelburst29
The Living Force
A passenger train crashed into a freight train near the Czech capital, killing one driver and injuring dozens of passengers, officials said on Wednesday.
Rescuers work at the scene of a passenger and freight trains collision in Cesky Brod, Czech Republic on Tuesday. AP
July 15, 2020 - The Czech Rail Safety Inspectorate said the driver of the passenger train's engine died in the crash near the station of Cesky Brod just east of Prague shortly after 9:30pm (1930 GMT) on Tuesday.
The inspectorate said the passenger train smashed into the standing freight train.
The regional rescue service said up to 35 passengers were injured. Some were transported to hospitals for treatment by helicopters.
There were about 100 people onboard.
The major track linking the capital with the eastern part of the country is expected to be closed until Wednesday noon, the Czech Railways said. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.
Rescuers work at the scene of a passenger and freight trains collision in Cesky Brod, Czech Republic on Tuesday. AP
July 15, 2020 - The Czech Rail Safety Inspectorate said the driver of the passenger train's engine died in the crash near the station of Cesky Brod just east of Prague shortly after 9:30pm (1930 GMT) on Tuesday.
The inspectorate said the passenger train smashed into the standing freight train.
The regional rescue service said up to 35 passengers were injured. Some were transported to hospitals for treatment by helicopters.
There were about 100 people onboard.
The major track linking the capital with the eastern part of the country is expected to be closed until Wednesday noon, the Czech Railways said. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.
Freight Train Catches Fire and Derails in Arizona (Published 2020)
The derailment, on a bridge over a lake in Tempe, caused part of the bridge to collapse, the authorities said. No injuries were reported.
A freight train derailed and caught fire as it was crossing a heavy rail bridge in Tempe, Ariz., on Wednesday morning, causing the bridge to partially collapse and sending plumes of black smoke billowing over the Tempe Town Lake, the authorities said.
The derailment happened just after 6 a.m., Detective Natalie Barela of the Tempe Police Department said. No one was injured, she said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire or the derailment. The incident is under investigation, said Assistant Chief Andrea Glass of the Tempe Fire Department.
Eight to 10 rail cars caught fire, said Tim McMahan, a spokesman for Union Pacific, the owner of the train. Brandon Siebert, a fire investigator and a spokesman for the Tempe Fire Department, told ABC 15 that the train included “lumber cars” and “tanker cars.”
About 100 firefighters from Tempe, Phoenix and Mesa, Ariz., responded, and several ladder units sprayed water on the bridge, Chief Glass said.
“It is a very active scene. We are still trying to contain the fire at this time,” she said. “We have a large amount of smoke that is over the center part of the lake.”
Video from local TV stations showed the fire burning along much of the bridge earlier in the morning.
A section of the bridge collapsed onto a roadway, Chief Glass said. Two of the cars that fell to the ground contained cyclohexanone, a highly flammable chemical solvent, and one contained a rubber material, Mr. McMahan said, adding that none of the cars were reported to be leaking.
Chief Glass said that no train cars fell into the lake, which is about two miles long and is a popular recreation area for kayaking, paddle boarding and rowing. The nearby Tempe Center for the Arts was evacuated, Ms. Barela said.
Streets around the Tempe Town Lake and west of downtown were restricted, and the police asked that people avoid the area. The Valley Metro transit service was routing buses around the scene of the derailment.
