2 killed, residents evacuated after freight trains collide in Arkansas

USPA News - Two freight trains carrying toxic chemicals collided in the U.S. state of Arkansas on early Sunday morning, killing two crew members and forcing a large number of residents to evacuate, state officials said. Two other crew members were injured.

The accident happened at approximately 3 a.m. local time on Sunday when two Union Pacific Railroad (UP) freight trains collided along a field near a community in Hoxie, a city in Lawrence County, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) northeast of Little Rock. Both trains were transporting toxic chemicals as cargo. Bill Sadler, a spokesman for the Arkansas State Police (ASP), said two people were killed in the crash while two others were injured, but their conditions were not immediately known. "All are believed to be among the crews onboard the freight trains," Sadler said. No residents or structures were directly impacted by the crash. Photos from the scene showed one of the trains on fire, which continued to burn at daybreak, but Sadler said the fire was not believed to be threatening any of the toxic cargo. Nonetheless, "a large number" of residents in the area were evacuated as a precaution and directed to the Walnut Ridge Community Center. Sadler could not say how many residents were evacuated, and a spokesman for the Lawrence County Office Of Emergency Services did not immediately return a request for comment. "All highways leading into Hoxie are now blocked by Arkansas State Police and local law enforcement personnel," Sadler added. Union Pacific Railroad spokesman Jeff DeGraff said additional information would be released later on Sunday.