A bridge in Tempe, Arizona, caught fire and partially collapsed after a train derailed above Tempe Town Lake.
The train derailment took place around 6:15 a.m. local time, prompting a massive response from the Tempe police and fire departments. Authorities closed several roads leading to the bridge and the Tempe Town Lake while they worked to put the fire out.
According to Union Pacific, at least 10 cars derailed during the incident. The train consisted of several tankers and cars carrying lumber. None of the tankers leaked during the incident, but some of the cars and the bridge itself caught fire after the derailment. The tankers were carrying cyclohexanone, a chemical solution used in pesticides and rubber that is commonly used to make nylon.
No one was injured during the incident, but one person who was outside at a nearby park was treated for smoke inhalation.
Multiple agencies are hard at work battling this 2nd alarm fire. Additional road closures are now in place including 202 from 101 to the SR143. @Arizona_DPS pic.twitter.com/sxnnVObapP
— Tempe Police (@TempePolice) July 29, 2020
Camille Kimball, an Arizona woman who was biking near the bridge when the derailment took place, told CBS 5 that it felt “surreal” to see the incident unfold.
“I turned around to look and got the fright of my life,” she said. “Now, there’s fire pouring into the lake from the middle of the bridge. … It looks like a scene from hell, truly. A scene from hell. … The flames are intense, and the sky is filled with black smoke,”
The Federal Railroad Administration is investigating the cause of the derailment, which is not yet clear. The bridge was first built in 1912, and Union Pacific noted that the bridge is inspected every 30 days.
Authorities are responding to an apparent train derailment and fire on a bridge in Tempe, Arizona. Police asked people to avoid the area. https://t.co/Ggj2UJlRYr pic.twitter.com/5mQAMpyWHE
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) July 29, 2020
