Rain blamed for train derailment

~ No one was injured, but three onboard automobiles fell into the Mississippi River.

Seven freight cars and a locomotive derailed near Hines Landing near the Mississippi River in northern Cape Girardeau County -- several miles north of the Procter & Gamble plant -- on Monday, leaving a tangled mess that crushed some of the train's load of pickup trucks and cars.

Three of the new vehicles ended up in the Mississippi River and quickly sank, fire and rescue officials said. The locomotive -- one of two pulling the rail cars -- ended up on its side along the river bank.

None of the train's three crew members were injured, but the train engineer was "shook up" by the experience, Fruitland Fire Protection District officials said.

Railroad and fire officials blamed weather for the accident. Heavy rains in recent days had saturated the ground, damaging the roadbed.

While local firefighters reported seven railcars derailed, BNSF Railway spokesman Steve Forsberg said preliminary reports showed as many as 11 rail cars off the track. The seven rail cars were the most heavily damaged. Others were left standing with their wheels off the tracks.

The derailment of the BNSF Railway train occurred just before 8 a.m. near County Road 535, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department officials said.

Recent heavy rains may have washed away the tracks leading to the derailment, fire officials said. "That's a good possibility," said fire Capt. Tom Krydynski.

Railroad officials said it appears the rails may have shifted in the saturated soil, putting the track out of alignment. "It has a similar effect as a washout," said the railroad's Forsberg.

Fruitland assistant chief Andy Renner said the derailment didn't pose an environmental problem. The freight train wasn't hauling tanks full of chemicals.

"We were happy there were no chemical fires," he said after inspecting the wreckage.

The 64-car train's entire load was new automobiles. The train originated in Birmingham, Ala., and was headed to Chicago, railroad officials said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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