Freight train derails on bridge in Baltimore Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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HAPPENING? LOWELL: WE HAVE BEEN ON THE SCENE HERE SINCE AROUND 3:30 P.M. WHEN THE STORY BROKE. HERE IS WHAT WE CAN SHOW YOU, THESE ARE THE CARS THAT STAYED ON LAND, THERE ARE TWO FREIGHT AND ONE TANKER AND A NUMBER OF CARS ALSO SPILLED OVER THE SIDE OVER THE TRACKS, FALLING ABOUT 80 FEET AND THERE ARE MORE DERAILED CARS BEHIND THAT. ACCORDING TO FIRE OFFICIALS, THEY ARE TELLING US FIVE CARS DERAILED BUT I AM COUNTING AT LEAST SEVEN. WE WILL GET YOU A BETTER UPDATE AS FAR AS THAT NUMBER IS CONCERNED. THERE IS NO THREAT OF EXPLOSION OR HAZARD OR FIRE. MANY ROADS IN THIS AREA ARE STILL CLOSED AS EMERGENCY CREWS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT JUST HOW TO TACKLE THE SITUATION. SOME OF THE CARS AS I MENTIONED FELL ABOUT 80 FEET TO THE BOTTOM . ONE OF THEM STRUCK A CAR WITH SOMEONE INSIDE BUT AMAZINGLY, THAT PERSON WALKED AWAY AND IS FINE. FIRE AND POLICE OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO INTERVIEW THAT PERSON TO SEE IF THEY SAW ANYTHING WHEN THE TRAIN CAME OFF THE TRACK. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HELD A BRIEFING TALKING MORE ABOUT THE SITUATION. >> IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE BUT WE WERE EXTREMELY THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL THAT NO ONE WAS WATCHING THROUGH THAT WAY, NO ONE WAS DRIVING ALONG THAT PATH AND NO EXPLOSIONS. WE ARE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE IT WAS NOT WORSE THAN WHEN IT WAS. LOWELL: EARLIER, WE WERE ABLE TO GET ON THE TRACKS HERE ONE WE FIRST ARRIVED AT THE SCENE WHEN THIS WAS VERY FRESH AND NEW, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ONLOOKERS AND PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS AREA WHO TELL US THAT THE SOUND OF A TRAIN GOING BY AND THE RUMBLING IS COMMON, BUT THIS TIME, THINGS SOUNDED MUCH DIFFERENT. THERE WAS SOME SAYING A LOUD ROOM AND THE RUMBLING WAS A LOT LOUDER. AND A LOT STRONGER THAN THEY ARE USED TO. HERE’S WHAT SOME OF THOSE FOLKS HAD TO SAY. >> IT WAS A VERY LOUD BOOM AND IT SOUNDED LIKE THE TRAIN BUT I DID NOT THINK ANYTHING OF IT. I STARTED HEARING THE HELICOPTERS AND SIRENS AND THAT IS WHEN I GRANDFATHER SAID IT DID FALL OVER. >> WENT TO WORK ON IT IT WEAKENS THE GROUND AND THESE TRACKS WERE WORK -- WERE LOOSE. ALL THE TIME YOU HEAR SCREECHING SO IT TURNS THE AXLES AND PROBABLY POPPED OFF THE TRACK, PROBABLY GOING TO FAST. LOWELL: I AM LOOKING AT THIS, AND EMAIL FROM AN -- FROM CSX THAT SAID THEY ARE INVESTIGATING AND THEY SAY THE MAIN PRIORITY IS THE SAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY, EMPLOYEES, AND EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AND THEY ARE APOLOGIZING FOR THE DESTRUCTION TO THE COMMUNITY AT THIS HOUR. AMAZINGLY AS I REPORTED, NO ONE INJURED IN THE SITUATION WHICH IS UNBELIEVABLE WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT IS GOING ON OUT HERE. ONE FINAL NOTE AS FAR AS COMMUTERS ARE CONCERNED, THERE IS NO IMPACT TO SERVICE AND IT WILL HAVE NOT -- NO EFFECT ON THE PENN SERVICE THAT INCLUDES AMTRAK. WE WILL REVIEW THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT AS THEY HAPPEN, ANOTHER UPDATE AT 5:30 P.M. STAN: THE BALTIMORE FIRE DEPARTMENT TWEETED OUT THESE PHOTOS. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE HER THE MASSIVE TRAIN CARS BLOCKING THE ENTIRETY OF FALLS ROAD. TRAFFIC IS NOT GETTING BY. IT PROBABLY WILL NOT FOR QUITE A WHILE. ANDRE: CAPTAIN ROY HAD BEEN MONITORING THE SITUATION, WHAT IS THE LATEST? CAPTAIN ROY: THIS IS THE CAR THAT WAS PARKED ON THE SIDE OF FALLS ROAD WHEN THIS TRAIN DERAILED. THERE ARE NINE CARS THAT HAVE DERAILED. FIVE OF THEM HAVE LEFT THE TRACK. ONE OF THEM IS SOMEWHAT DANGLING IN THE JONES FALLS AND THE OTHER ONE IS ON TOP OF FALLS ROAD. ONE TANKER CAR THAT YOU SEE ON ITS SIDE IS EMPTY AND DOES NOT POSE A HAZARDOUS MATERIALS THREAT. THE ONLY THING THAT SPEED IS NOT A FACTOR, ONE THING I HAVE NOTICED FROM SKYTEAM 11, THE WIND. GUSTING UP TO ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR AND THE WAY THAT THE WINDS ARE COMING OFF OUT OF THE SOUTH -SOUTHEAST, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ONE IS GOING UP THE VALLEY AND COULD HAVE HAD A CORIOLIS EFFECT WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED A HIGHER THAN NORMAL WHEN GUST WITH ALL THESE TRAIN CARS THAT ARE EMPTY, IT IS PLAUSIBLE THAT MAY BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS DERAILMENT. FALLS ROAD REMAINS SHUT DOWN NORTH AND SOUTH. NORTH OF NORTH AVENUE. IF YOU’RE TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON NORTH AVENUE, CITY POLICE HAVE SHUT THAT DOWN. WESTBOUND IS SHUT DOWN. SOUTHBOUND MARYLAND AVENUE IS SHUT DOWN SOUTH OF FOURTH AVENUE WHILE THEY ARE SETTING UP AN AREA FOR THE BG CREWS TO RESPOND AS WELL AS CSX CREWS TO RESPOND TO DO WITH THIS DERAILMENT. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY ARE EN ROUTE, THEY DID NOT WASTE ANY TIME MOBILIZING EQUIPMENT TO COME HERE. THE LAST I HEARD IS THE MAIN SUPERVISOR THAT WAS IN VIRGINIA SHOULD BE HERE WITHIN THE NEXT HALF-HOUR AND AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION, WE WI

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