By Laura Stevens and Cameron McWhirter
A crude-oil train derailed in a fiery crash in downtown
Lynchburg, Va., causing no injuries--but forcing the evacuation of
a large part of the downtown area Wednesday afternoon, according to
witnesses and a fire official.
Twelve to 14 cars containing crude oil derailed, and at least
three broke open and several plunged into the James River, said
Heather Childress, a battalion chief with the Lynchburg Fire
Department who was at the scene. The cars had CSX Corp. markings,
she said.
CSX didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
The train derailed about 2 p.m. By about 3 p.m., fire crews had
contained the fire on land, but crude was still burning in the
river, Ms. Childress said. The city's hazardous materials teams
were on the scene "assessing the magnitude of the incident right
now," she said.
The crash is the latest in a string of fiery accidents caused by
crude-by-rail transport, including one in Quebec last summer that
killed 47 people and incinerated part of the town. Regulators in
recent months have mandated stricter standards for the testing and
transportation of crude, and the railroads have also agreed to a
number of voluntary measures, including slower speed limits and
rerouting trains around high-risk areas.
The Federal Railroad Administration was unable to offer
immediate comment.
Write to Laura Stevens at laura.stevens@wsj.com and Cameron
McWhirter at cameron.mcwhirter@wsj.com
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