By Laura Stevens
Investigators are examining tracks, equipment and human
performance factors to determine why two Union Pacific Corp. trains
collided head-on in Arkansas early Sunday morning after it appears
signals were functioning correctly, according to the National
Transportation Safety Board.
The crash, which occurred at about 2:30 a.m. in Hoxie, killed
two train crew members and injured two others, according to
authorities. One tank car, containing unrefined alcohol, caught
fire and burned for hours.
The two trains collided at a location where two main tracks
converge into one main track, said Mike Hiller, the NTSB's
investigator in charge of the probe. The plan was for the
southbound train, which was on the double track, to stop and wait
for the northbound train to take the other track.
"We know that this did not happen and a collision occurred right
at that point," said Mr. Hiller. "We are still trying to gather
data to find out why that southbound train did not stop."
In addition to examining equipment such as the brakes,
investigators have requested medical documents and are scheduling
interviews to look at the human performance factors. They've also
shipped the trains' black boxes to Washington, D.C., for
examination.
Liquid natural gas and sulfuric acid were among the hazardous
materials on board, Mr. Hiller said. Neither train contained any
crude oil tank cars, and all hazardous material was loaded properly
into the correct type of tank cars, he added.
The northbound train carried 92 cars, 11 of which contained
flammable liquid class hazardous materials including the car with
the alcohol, Mr. Hiller said. It originated in North Little Rock,
Ark. The southbound train originated in St. Louis, Mo., with 86
cars, 20 of which were carrying hazardous materials.
About 500 residents were evacuated as a precaution in an
approximately 1.5 mile area Sunday.
Write to Laura Stevens at laura.stevens@wsj.com
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