Key Takeaways
- A train carrying gasoline and propane derailed near the Arizona-New Mexico border, causing a highway closure.
- No injuries were reported in the train derailment, but six rail cars caught fire and burned for hours.
- An investigation of the cause of the train derailment is underway, with local media reporting it as a ‘hazardous materials incident’.
Houston: A train carrying gasoline and propane derailed Friday afternoon near the Arizona-New Mexico border in the western United States, causing the closure of a key trucking route, according to New Mexico State Police (NMSP).
The derailment near Houck, Arizona, resulted in six rail cars catching fire and burning for hours, according to Lieutenant Phil Vargas of the New Mexico State Police.
No injuries were reported, the east and westbound lanes on interstate highway I-40 near milepost 8 were closed following the incident. The McKinley County Sheriff’s Office said they aren’t sure when the roads will reopen.
BNSF Railway spokesperson Lena Kent confirmed the derailment and said there were no injuries to the crew.
The incident is being treated as a “hazardous materials incident,” local media reported. An investigation of the cause is underway.
