BALTIMORE (AP) - Multiple freight train cars derailed Friday in Baltimore, with at least one empty car tumbling off a bridge, but authorities said no one was injured.
Numerous police and fire crews responded to the accident scene Friday afternoon. The Baltimore Fire Department said the derailed cars all seemed to be empty and did not appear to pose any hazard. But officials with the state’s environment department were en route to assess the situation.
The CSX train derailed on a curving track not far from Baltimore’s main train station, numerous bustling roads and a stream. The bridge where it derailed spans a largely industrial parcel, but a road that passes directly beneath it is popular with cyclists and does get car traffic. One motorist narrowly escaped being hit by a fallen pole.
In a statement issued at least an hour after the derailment, CSX said “no leaks, spills or injuries” were reported and company personnel were on site with local emergency management. A CSX spokesperson put the total number of derailed cars at nine.
“We apologize for the disruption to the community,” a company statement said.
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said the “full circumstances related to the derailment of the CSX train are under investigation.” A Federal Railroad Administration inspector is expected to take a preliminary look.
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