Clean-up continues at the site of Sunday night’s train derailment. As KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, rail authorities are still trying to determine the cause.
A total of 13 cars derailed near a bridge overpass, where several residents of a homeless encampment heard a thunderous noise, followed by sirens.
“We crossed the bridge, and we saw the carnage. It was impressive," says Troy Schwartz, an unemployed maintenance worker. "And down Northwest Expressway, that’s where we saw the big tanker. And hazmat was out there all suited up, checking out to see if it was leakin’, and apparently it was okay.”
Schwartz was relieved the fuel tanker – with liquefied petroleum gas -- didn’t rupture. He also saw a grain car behind it.
“And it spilled almost its entire load. It was almost upside down. And right now they’re trying to get all the grain that spilled, back into some lined containers and dump trucks.”
Scott Bishop is Battalion Chief of the Eugene Springfield Fire Department. Emergency response crews set up a perimeter around the site which slowed operations for several hours.
“As soon as we were able to reduce that perimeter, just to the working area around the immediate derailment, then the rest of operations resumed as usual.”
Bishop says Union Pacific is investigating the derailment. The cause may not be known for several days.
No injuries or casualties were reported.