Train derails in Mississippi, floodwater may have been factor

Published 4:07 pm Saturday, May 11, 2019

Floodwaters in southern Mississippi may have contributed to the derailment of a freight train near Lumberton.

Norfolk Southern spokeswoman Rachel McDonnell Bradshaw says the derailment happened about 7:15 a.m. Saturday as it traveled from Birmingham, Alabama to New Orleans.

In an email, Bradshaw said 25 of the derailed cars were empty and the other three were transporting steel. She says there were no hazardous materials involved and no injuries were reported.

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The cause of the derailment remains under investigation, but WLOX-TV reports authorities note the roads in Pearl River County near the derailment are flooded over.

Meanwhile, Bradshaw says company personnel are on site to coordinate cleanup and recovery.