By Associated Press. A fire burns at the site of a freight train derailment Wednesday in Hyndman, PA. A freight train carrying hazardous materials partly derailed early Wednesday, setting train cars and a garage on fire and prompting emergency officials to evacuate nearby residents.
HYNDMAN, Pa. — Nearly three dozen cars of a freight train carrying hazardous materials careened off the tracks in a small Pennsylvania town Wednesday, igniting fires in some rail cars and a garage and forcing emergency officials to evacuate the whole town.
At least 32 cars on the CSX freight train derailed about 5 a.m. in Hyndman, about 100 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, said CSX spokesman Rob Doolittle. The train was traveling from Chicago to Selkirk, New York.
At least one car containing liquid petroleum gas, and one containing molten sulfur leaked and caught fire, Doolittle said. A residential garage struck during the derailment also caught fire, officials said.
The only confirmed structure fire was at the garage, but video from the scene seems to show more extensive damage.
Aerial footage of the derailment shows a number of cars stacked nearly perpendicular to the tracks while others landed in a burning, zig-zag pattern in a residential area where some structures seemed crushed and other ablaze.
Hyndman resident Jim Shaffer told the (Cumberland) Times-News he was awakened by the sound of crashing rail cars.
“It woke me up. It was louder than a thunderstorm,” he said. “I heard the cars banging into each other. Then I heard the fire whistle.”
Bedford County 911 coordinator Harry Corley said officials ordered everyone within a 1-mile radius of the derailment to leave hours after the derailment. The order encompasses the entire town of Hyndman, and residents have been directed to a local church for help with lodging and food.
Gov. Tom Wolf said officials were conducting air and ground studies to determine possible health effects. The governor was traveling to the derailment’s command center Wednesday afternoon.
A number of roads are closed, and some flight restrictions are in place.
Amtrak suspended train service between Pittsburgh and Washington, providing buses to take passengers between the two stations.
“CSX apologizes for the impact that this incident is having on the residents of Hyndman,” Doolittle said.
Hyndman is a town of just over 800 residents near the Maryland border.
“CSX’s top priority is to work cooperatively with first responders and other officials to protect the public’s safety, and CSX personnel are on the scene assisting first responders, providing information about the contents of the train and expertise on responding to railroad incidents,” Doolittle said.