A train derailed near the Mississippi River in Wisconsin on Thursday, BNSF Railway confirmed, adding that one crew member was received “medical evaluation” as a result of the derailment.
“BNSF Railway can confirm that a train derailed near De Soto, Wisconsin (approximately 30 miles south of La Crosse) on April 27, at approximately 12:15 pm local time,” a BNSF representative told American Military News in an email.
“Two of the three locomotives and an unknown number of cars carrying freight of all kinds are reported to be derailed on the bluff side of the Mississippi River,” the email continued. “The main track is blocked in both directions and an estimated time for reopening the track is not available. Crew members are accounted for, with one receiving medical evaluation. Local first responders are on-site. BNSF has personnel en route to the scene and the cause of the incident is under investigation.”
Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s office also said officials are coordinating with FEMA, Wisconsin Emergency Management, the state and national Departments of Transportation, Crawford County officials, Rep. Ashley Hinson, and BNSF.
“My staff is traveling to the site, and @RepTroyNehls, who Chairs the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Rail, has also made staff available to assist our team. We will continue to monitor the situation and determine next steps. -DVO,” Van Orden’s office added in a follow-up tweet.
The wreck in Wisconsin comes just ten days after a Canadian Pacific freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in Maine, sparking a blaze that eventually grew into a small forest fire, officials said. Three railroad employees were transported to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries at the time.
Officials said the derailment “may have been caused by a build-up of melting ice and debris that washed out part of the railroad track.”
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
