Crews in Southern Arizona were cleaning up Tuesday after a railroad accident that derailed about 40 empty cars from a Union Pacific freight train.
The derailment occurred Monday night near the Picacho Peak exit of westbound Interstate 10, about 40 miles northwest of Tucson. Television news footage showed cars carrying containers off the tracks.
The Federal Railroad Administration will work with UP to investigate the accident, according to Zoe Richmond, a UP spokeswoman. Authorities are speculating that the derailment occurred after the train encountered winds and rain unexpectedly, she said.
The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning in the area late Monday.
The cleanup was estimated to last until Tuesday evening, Richmond said.
“Luckily, right now, the weather is holding up,” she said. “So the cleanup is moving smoothly and safely.”
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About 45 to 50 trains on average travel through the area daily, she said. Those trains are either being rerouted or held in queue.
Another UP spokesman, Mark Davis, earlier said the train was going from Houston to Los Angeles, and that there were no injuries or anything hazardous in the freight cars.
Star reporter Yoohyun Jung and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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