Scores in Riverside Flee Gas Leaking From Derailed Train

A propane tank car started leaking after a Santa Fe Railway freight train derailed Thursday night forcing the evacuation of nearly 200 people from a large area of downtown Riverside but there were no injuries or explosions, authorities said.

The car was one of nine tank cars on the train and was said to be empty but it was feared that it contained enough residual gas to set off an explosion with enough force to cause damage up to 2,000 feet away, fire officials said.

By midnight, fire officials declared the area safe and called off the 25-square-block evacuation that centered at Third and Mulberry streets. Two evacuation centers had been set up.

California Highway Patrol officials said freeway transition roads from Interstate 215 to Highways 91 and 60 were closed as well as the Poplar Street ramps.

The derailment was believed to have been caused when the freight collided with a stationary train, officials said.