+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

A bridge over an Arizona lake was engulfed in flames and partially collapsed after a train derailment

Jul 30, 2020, 01:38 IST
Insider
A bridge collapsed and a derailed train caught fire over Tempe Town Lake in Arizona on Wednesday.Daniel Coronado
  • The Salt River Union Pacific Bridge in Tempe, Arizona, caught fire early Wednesday and partially collapsed amid a train derailment, according to multiple reports.
  • A train car carrying lumber across the bridge was engulfed in flames and a tanker car that had a hazardous materials warning sign fell off the bridge and landed on the street below, per KTVK.
  • Information about the cause of the incident or any injuries wasn't immediately available.
Advertisement

Fire crews in Tempe, Arizona, battled a massive blaze on Wednesday morning after a train derailed and a bridge collapsed at Tempe Town Lake.

Local station KTVK reported that a train car transporting lumber across the Salt River Union Pacific Bridge caught fire around 6 a.m. while a tanker car with a hazardous materials warning sign had fallen off the bridge.

Footage from the scene showed mangled train cars, some of which were engulfed in flames while others had plummeted onto the street below. A towering plume of black smoke was also visible.

A Tempe Fire Department spokesperson told ABC-affiliate KNXV-TV that a Union Pacific train was involved. Around 90 firefighters and multiple agencies responded to the two-alarm fire, the news outlet reported.

Tempe police said on Twitter that streets in the area were closed and the lake was shut down. Local reports said that no one was injured, but one person was treated for smoke inhalation.

Advertisement

Information about the cause of the collapse wasn't immediately available.

Camille Kimball was riding her bike beneath the bridge moments before it collapsed, she told KTVK. A loud noise alerted her that something had happened as did the fact that bystanders pulled out their phones and began taking pictures and videos.

"I turned around to look and got the fright of my life," she told the outlet. "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 Salt River Union Pacific Bridge was constructed in 1912 and is used by cargo trains, Tempe's website said.

The lake was also the scene of a Black Lives Matter protest on July 27, according to Reuters.

Advertisement
You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article