In this mobile phone photo provided Charles Peters, smoke rises after several CSX tanker cars carrying crude oil derailed on Wednesday, April 30, 2014, in Lynchburg, Va. Authorities evacuated numerous buildings Wednesday after the derailment. (AP Photo/Charles Peters)LYNCHBURG, Va. – Several CSX tanker cars carrying crude oil derailed in downtown and caught fire along the James River in Lynchburg, Va., leading to the evacuation of nearby buildings, but no injuries, city officials said.
The city on its website and Twitter posted that firefighters on the scene made the decision to let the fire burn out and urged motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area. It tweeted that the tanker cars were carrying crude oil and that three or four of them were breached. The city said 13 or 14 tanker cars were involved in the derailment.
Photos and video show several black tanker cars derailed and extensive flames and smoke.
The city said there was no impact on the drinking water for its 77,000 residents due to spillage into the James River. However, officials for the city of Richmond said its public utilities department is drawing from an old canal system instead of the James River as a precaution.
The train with about 15 cars was traveling from Chicago to Virginia when it derailed, CSX said in a statement. It did not say where the train was headed. The railroad operator said it is “responding fully, with emergency response personnel, safety and environmental experts, community support teams and other resources.”