Train Derails; No Chemical Is Spilled
A cargo train carrying a toxic chemical derailed Saturday in a remote area outside Bakersfield, authorities said. No one was injured.
The accident occurred about 2:10 p.m., about 20 miles southeast of Bakersfield along Califorina 58, said Capt. Chuck Dickson of the Kern County Fire Department. The conductor was the only passenger and he wasn’t injured.
Fourteen cars went off the track and tumbled down an embankment into a creek. Three of the tanker cars were filled with anhydrous ammonia, a toxic chemical commonly used by ice manufacturing plants.
A hazardous materials team responded to the accident scene but didn’t find any leaks in the tankers, Dickson added.
The other train cars were either empty or had nonhazardous materials aboard.
The cause of the accident is under investigation. Crews worked to repair the track, and it was expected to reopen by midnight.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
