(The Associated Press circulated the following article on May 9.)
BELLE PLAINE, Kan. — Authorities now say 16 freight cars were blown off the tracks by wind in southern Kansas early today, shutting down a key rail link.
BNSF Railway says 16 of the 30 cars on the train derailed just east of Belle Plaine, about 30 miles south of Wichita. No injuries were reported in the accident, which happened at about 3:40 a.m. Tuesday.
Local law officers earlier said as many as 50 cars had derailed.
The train was traveling from the Chicago area to southern California and was hauling empty containers stacked two high. High winds were suspected as the cause.
The National Weather Service said winds in the area reached as high as 60 miles per hour around the time of the accident.
The derailment happened on a single-track section of rail. The area was expected to be reopened Wednesday morning.