14 DAY TRIAL // Yesterday morning, a train transporting crude oil derailed and exploded in Alabama. No deaths have been reported, but authorities fear damage to the environment.
Information shared with the public says that, when the incident occurred, the 90-car train was crossing a timber trestle near the town of Aliceville in Pickens County.
Its planned route was supposed to take it from Amory, Mississippi to Walnut Hill, Florida.
The cars that derailed did not catch fire right away, but after a few hours. Eventually, the bridge also ignited, Los Angeles Times reports.
Emergency responders who arrived at the scene decided that it would be best to let the cars and the bridge burn out, and settle for containing the flames.
It appears that, in the aftermath of this incident, some crude oil worked its way into local wetlands.
Specialists working with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have not yet had the chance to thoroughly assess the damage caused to the environment, but promise they will get to it as soon as possible.
“Typically wetlands are a sanctuary for a variety of different types of aquatic species, so once we’re able to get in and assess environmental impacts, we’ll certainly look at any impacts to aquatic organisms and other types of wildlife,” Scott Hughes with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management told the press.
The Environmental Protection Agency has also sent a specialist to the area. Their job is to monitor clean-up operations and keep a close eye on local air and water quality.
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management reassures that, according to preliminary investigations, drinking water wells in the area have not been contaminated, so people have nothing to worry about.
The cause of the derailment has not yet been determined. An investigation is ongoing, and more information is expected to be shared with the public in the days to come.