(The following article by Joseph Bryant was posted on the Birmingham News website on November 24.)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Some of the Burlington Northern Railroad cars hung from the bridge while others were thrown into the Black Warrior River below, littering the banks with its cargo of lumber and grain.
Authorities had feared some of the cars were carrying sodium hydroxide, a substance that can become volatile when it hits water and cause internal damage with exposure. Walker County Sheriff John Mark Tirey said he later learned that no cars were carrying the chemical, but some residue remained.
While the chemical cars were not loaded, Tirey said the evacuation was ordered as a precaution.
The accident occurred around 2:20 p.m., Tirey said. No one was injured. A cause has not been determined, he said
Railroad workers arrived Saturday night to investigate the accident and remove the overturned cars. Officials are unsure what caused the derailment.
Residents within a half-mile of the accident were allowed to return to their homes by 5:30 p.m. following a three-hour wait.
Officials with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and state Emergency Management Agency evaluated the scene. Crews with the Cordova and Boldo Fire Departments also responded.
“They’re going to do monitoring to make sure nothing gets in the water that would cause any harm to anybody,” said Barney Fire Chief Jimmy Key.