5 Railroad Cars Carrying Asphalt Derail in Cerritos
Five railroad tanker cars carrying hot asphalt derailed Thursday evening next to Cerritos Regional County Park.
Some asphalt leaked from one car, but no one was hurt, authorities said.
The derailment occurred just before 6 p.m. east of Bloomfield Avenue and north of Del Amo Boulevard in Cerritos, said county Fire Capt. Steve Valenzuela.
The train was carrying asphalt from Paramount to Anaheim, he said.
Five of eight tankers on the eastbound train overturned because of a “weak spot where the rails failed and allowed five cars to roll over into a gully,” Valenzuela said. “It’s hard to say if the weather is the reason it occurred.” Fixing the tracks, righting the overturned tankers and cleaning up the mess may take two or three days, he said.
The captain said the hot asphalt that leaked out was hardening as it cooled.
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