An Arizona freight train caught fire after it derailed on a century-old bridge on Wednesday, with pieces of the stretch collapsing amid a fireball that could be seen for miles, according to reports.
“It looks like a scene from hell, really. A scene from hell, ”witness Camille Kimball told the Arizona family about the carnage on a bridge over Lake Tempe Town.
“The flames are intense and the sky is full of black smoke.”
The fire reportedly started shortly after 6 a.m., with footage showing the train almost completely submerged along the bridge, but surprisingly there were no reports of serious injuries.
A section of the Salt River Union Pacific Bridge, which was built in 1912, had completely collapsed right next to the lake, with some of the train cars separated and on the ground.
“I turned around to look and felt the scare of my life,” according to Kimball, who told the store that he heard a deafening noise while riding his bike.
Another viewer, Bruce Haffner, described the scene as “incredible”.
“It is a catastrophe,” he said.
Authorities told 12 News that they were still investigating whether or not the bridge collapse caused the derailment and fire.
The Union Pacific train carried mainly lumber, some of which could be seen on the lake, authorities said.
However, some of the tank cars had warning signs of hazardous materials, but no one knew exactly what was being transported, hindering the emergency operation, authorities told local media.
A fire official told the Arizona family that nearly 100 firefighters had to take a “slow and methodical” and “worst case” approach for the potentially hazardous material.
Tim McMahan, a spokesman for the Union Pacific Railroad, said none of the crew members on board the train were injured, but there was a report from someone close by who suffered smoke inhalation.
The company intends to launch an investigation into what led to the derailment, he said.
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