A bridge over a lake in Arizona partially collapsed on Wednesday after a freight train derailed and caught fire.
The incident occurred just before 6:30 a.m. local time in Tempe, located east of Phoenix. The Tempe Police Department said on Twitter that officers and the Tempe Fire Department were at the scene of a train derailment and a “big fire” over Lake Tempe Town.
“Several roads are restricted near Lake Tempe Town and west of downtown Tempe,” the department said. “Please avoid the area.”
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Tempe Fire Medical Rescue told Fox News that several train cars were on fire, some with wood. Various agencies are helping what was described as a second alarm fire.
A train bridge partially collapsed after a derailment and fire in Tempe, Arizona, on July 29, 2020.
(Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir / Twitter)
Fire and smoke could be seen along the train bridge, including a part that collapsed in one area of the park.
A train bridge partially collapsed after a derailment and fire in Tempe, Arizona, on July 29, 2020.
(FOX10)
FOX10 aerial images showed that the fire continued to burn as the first to arrive arrived on the scene.
A train bridge partially collapsed after a derailment and fire in Tempe, Arizona, on July 29, 2020.
(FOX10)
It is unclear what the train was carrying, but wood could be seen in the water below.
A train bridge partially collapsed after a derailment and fire in Tempe, Arizona, on July 29, 2020.
(FOX10)
Camille Kimball, who was riding her bike under the bridge before it collapsed, told CBS 5 that the train noise became extremely loud and as she exited the bridge.
“I turned to look and felt the scare of my life,” he told the television station. “Now there is fire pouring into the lake from the center of the bridge … It looks like a scene from hell, really. A scene from hell … The flames are intense and the sky is full of black smoke.”
A train bridge partially collapsed after a derailment and fire in Tempe, Arizona, on July 29, 2020.
(FOX10)
Multiple videos of the area showed that the bridge partially collapsed.
Tempe Fire Medical Rescue told Fox News that no injuries were reported due to the derailment and subsequent fire.
Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir urged people to avoid the area, tweeting that the scene was “very dangerous.”
A train bridge partially collapsed after a derailment and fire in Tempe, Arizona, on July 29, 2020.
(Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir / Twitter)
“Stay away from Lake Tempe Town and away from the area,” he said.
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Valley Metro, which operates the light rail system in the Phoenix area, said that due to the freight train incident, Valley Metro trains were unable to cross the Tempe Town Lake Bridge.
Buses were arranged to transport passengers through the area.
Fox News’ Stephanie Bennett contributed to this report.
