Train derails and catches fire in Maine
According to official sources, three railway employees were hospitalized due to injuries and the rail cars containing hazardous materials were not damaged, despite initial reports to the contrary.
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A train derailed in Somerset County, Maine on Saturday around 8:30 a.m. Several wagons caught fire, starting "a small forest fire," according to the authorities. The fire was controlled and there is no risk to public health or safety, according to the same sources.
A total of three locomotive engines and six railcars carrying lumber and electrical wiring derailed, according to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Although it had been reported that some of the damaged cars contained hazardous materials, the department has since reported that it was not the case.
The train did carry hazardous substances but, "the assessment of officials on the scene is that these hazardous materials are not at risk of leaking and are not at risk of catching fire." In addition, three railroad employees were sent to the hospital with injuries, none of which are life-threatening.
First responders established a unified command center in Jackson. An operations team from the company that owns the train, Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (CPKC), was also sent to the scene, although the company has not issued an official statement.
The incident in Maine is one of a dozen derailments that have occurred since the tragedy in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3.
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