A train derailed near the border of Arizona and New Mexico last week, sparking a large fire. The crash occurred a little more than a year after the derailment of a train carrying chemicals near East Palestine, Ohio, causing widespread concern over pollution and contamination.
A BNSF freight train crashed near Lupton, Arizona. The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation. The derailment caused gasoline and propane to leak, which helped spark the fire.
The carrier BNSF has had more than 350 recent derailment incidents, which resulted in at least nine injuries.
The derailment affected about 35 train cars, including six freighting propane. The other cars were described as carrying “mixed freight.” The area within a two-mile radius was evacuated following the crash.
So far no injuries have been reported from the crash. However, the train cars remained on the track.
Fire crews battled the blaze as officials attempted to get a hold of the situation with a controlled burn.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) said that she was “deeply concerned about the train derailment along the Arizona-New Mexico border and am monitoring the situation closely.”
She said that her state would work with the government of New Mexico and the federal Department of Transportation.
“As we learn more about the situation on the ground, the State of Arizona stands ready to deploy the resources necessary to keep our communities safe,” she said.
I am deeply concerned about the train derailment along the Arizona-New Mexico border and am monitoring the situation closely. My administration is in contact with Secretary Buttigieg and the New Mexican government. As we learn more about the situation on the ground, the State of…
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) April 27, 2024
The crash caused the temporary closure of the I-40 highway near the affected site.
The crash in East Palestine in early 2023 sparked significant criticism for the Environmental Protection Agency and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The secretary was accused of not taking the crash and its aftermath more seriously, especially since he did not visit the site immediately.
Similar criticisms were leveled at President Joe Biden, who did not visit the site of the crash for about a year. Weeks after the crash the site was visited by former President Donald Trump, who handed out water to residents.
