Hundreds evacuated after freight train derails, catches fire

A freight train carrying hazardous materials partly derailed early Wednesday in a small town in Pennsylvania, setting train cars and a garage on fire and prompting emergency officials to evacuate hundreds of nearby residents.
No injuries were reported.
CSX spokesman Rob Doolittle said at least 32 cars on the CSX freight train derailed about 5 am today in Hyndman, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) southeast of Pittsburgh. The train was traveling from Chicago to Selkirk, New York, and consisted of five locomotives and 178 rail cars.
At least one car containing liquid petroleum gas and one containing molten sulfur leaked and caught fire, Doolittle said. A residential garage struck in the derailment also caught fire, officials said.

What caused the train to go off the rails was not immediately known.
Firefighters evacuated everyone within a half mile of the site. Ruth Miller, a state emergency management agency spokeswoman, said hundreds of people had to leave their homes.

"CSX apologizes for the impact that this incident is having on the residents of Hyndman, and will continue to support first responders and the community," Doolittle said.
Hyndman is a town of fewer than 1,000 residents close to the Maryland border. An emergency shelter was set up at the Hope for Hyndman Charter School, and the American Red Cross was called in to help, according to Bedford County 911 coordinator Harry Corley and Red Cross spokesman Dan Tobin.

The fire was still burning over seven hours after the derailment, Corley said.
"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.